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Presidential hopefuls promise quality education for all
Brain supplement: A volunteer teaches fourth- and fifth-graders in a classroom at the Melati Early Age School in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Friday
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Brain supplement: A volunteer teaches fourth- and fifth-graders in a classroom at the Melati Early Age School in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Friday. Volunteer teachers offer free supplementary lessons for underprivileged children in the area. (JP/DON) (JP/DON)
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span class="inline inline-none">Brain supplement: A volunteer teaches fourth- and fifth-graders in a classroom at the Melati Early Age School in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Friday. Volunteer teachers offer free supplementary lessons for underprivileged children in the area. (JP/DON)
Presidential hopefuls used National Education Day, which falls every May 2, to express their views on how to improve education.
'Adequate education is a constitutional right for citizens. Therefore, adequate education should be accessible to all,' Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) presidential hopeful Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo said in a speech commemorating National Education Day in Jakarta, as quoted by Antara news agency on Friday.
Jokowi cited the top three concerns in education as access, curriculum and teacher capability.
Jokowi, who is currently serving as Jakarta governor, said the Jakarta administration had been trying to widen access to education for all citizens through the Jakarta Smart Card (KJS) program.
'The KJS is not just for impoverished students because free education will not solve all the problems. We are using the KJS program to help dropouts,' he said. 'All citizens need proper education. However, education is not cheap. This should be a concern,' he said.
Gita Wirjawan, a possible presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, also cited management and allocations of funds for education as important issues.
'I believe education is a basic need. In the context of our national challenge, our education system has yet to become a medium for humanizing humans,' Gita said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
'Our educational system is more of an instrument and tends to stall in the face of drastic change,' Gita went on.
He said that the Education and Culture Ministry, with relevant bodies, should not become trapped in poor management, which would prevent Indonesians from contributing to global development.
'The government must respond quickly and precisely to the need for competitive human resources in this global era,' he said. Education and Culture Minister Mohammad Nuh said the disbursement of budget funds to education had improved since 2012 due to the direct transfer of funds to regencies and cities.
He added that of the Rp 368 trillion (US$31.93 billion) from the 2014 national education budget, around 65 percent, or Rp 238.6 trillion, was transferred directly to regency and city administrations, while the rest, Rp 80.6 trillion, stayed with the central government and was managed by the ministry.
He said further that the ministry allocated 75.65 percent or Rp 61.02 trillion from the budget to salaries and allowances for educators. He acknowledged, however, that even with a larger budget than in the past, it was difficult to address all of the problems facing the country's children.
'I have met children in several regencies and cities who want to leave school and some that want to quit because they have to help support their families,' he said. (put)
