Jakarta - The government will provide boarding schools for the children of Indonesian migrant workers who work in Sabah, Malaysia.
These will be located in Nunukan regency and Sebatik island in East Kalimantan, on the border between Indonesia and Malaysia.
”So the children can have access to proper education. Their parents can work in Malaysia while their children remain in Indonesia,” said Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo in Jakarta yesterday (16/7).
This idea came up after the minister visited Tarakan and Nunukan regency on September 12 and found many children there.
Usually, contract-based teachers are sent by the Indonesian government to Malaysia as the Malaysian government forbid worker`s children without complete papers from study there.
Since 2006, 109 teachers have been sent.
The Indonesian government works together with Humana, an NGO from the Philippines, that teaches children how to read and write.
Regrettably, the certificates issued by Humana is not recognized by the Indonesian government as Humana is not an educational institution.
Dodi Nandika, Secretary General of the National Education Department, said the boarding school construction is being discussed.
”The discussion will involve regency and provincial governments,” he said.
According to Nur Andriani, a member of the East Kalimantan Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), it is hoped that the government will hire contract-based teachers for the boarding schools. REH ATEMALEM SUSANTI
Source: http://www.tempointeractive.com (September 17, 2008)
