East Java to earmark Rp 525 billion for education

Wahyoe Boediwardhana , The Jakarta Post , Malang | Wed, 10/15/2008 10:36 AM | East Java

The East Java legislative council has signalled it will approve the allocation of 21 percent, or Rp 525 billion, of the province's 2009 budget to the education sector.

Council Speaker Fathorrasjid said the provincial government had proposed Rp 600 billion for the sector, but the legislature approved only Rp 525 billion from the province's overall Rp 3.1 trillion budget.

"The allocation has met the 20 percent Constitutional imperative and the final figure will be decided at the plenary session with the acting governor on Wednesday," he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Fathorrasjid said the funds would cover the School Operation Aid (BOS), school building renovation, improvement of teacher's social welfare and procurement of learning facilities such as labs, libraries and research areas.

Head of the provincial education agency Rasiyo previously said in Malang that his office had proposed a draft budget of Rp 600 billion for education but the final figure would depend on the governor and the provincial legislature.

This year's education budget is only 17 percent, down by 1 percent from 2007 because the gubernatorial election is expected to cost Rp 425 billion.

Fathorrasjid said he hoped the increase would improve the quality of education and ability for everybody to have access to it.

He said several schools would be able to send their students to the international Olympiads. Currently, most other schools are running short of funds and are struggling to implement the programs required by the national education curriculum.

Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo said in his recent visit to Malang that the government was determined to repair all damaged education infrastructure, improve teachers' social welfare and provide free education for students from poor families.

"With the increase in the education budget to 5 percent of GDP, Indonesia will be able to catch up with neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia," he said.

He also said that by 2014, 2.7 million teachers in elementary and secondary education would hold the S-1 degree title and those at the lower level would receive a monthly salary of at least Rp 2 million.

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