Set up Flexible Services for Out of School Children

Kompas, page 12

Special education services that are flexible and appropriate to the conditions of dropout children need to be developed so that they are interested in studying again in formal or non-formal schools. Chairman of the Smart Indonesia Movement Yanti Sriyulianti said, various breakthroughs need to be conducted by the central government, regions, schools, and communities to ensure the rights of citizens’ education is not neglected.

To overcome this problem, West Java Province made a breakthrough by increasing the number of open SMP and SMA/SMK.  Chairman of West Java Open High School Technical Team Dedeh Suantini said SMP graduates who did not go on to senior high school/vocational high school last year were recorded to number 180,000 children. They will be reached with the development of massive open SMA/SMK in all of West Java. This year the target is to serve about 81,000 students. According to Dedeh, open SMA/ SMK is conducted in learning activity places near the domicile of learners. All fees, including books and uniforms, are provided by the government.

Dedeh added, although free education services are provided, there is no guarantee school drop-out children are willing to participate. A number of factors pose constraints, such as economic hence children must work, geographical, up to cultural barriers and low motivation.

The open SMA/SMKs are managed flexibly.  Study schedule is not daily, but could be twice a week. Therefore it is necessary to prepare learning modules and learning materials through the utilization of information and communication technology to make learners flexible in learning and able to learn independently. In addition, there is a strengthening of skills and entrepreneurship in accordance with the conditions and potentials of the region.