FMN Calls for 20% Budget for Education in Indonesia

UPDATE: On May 2, the Indonesian celebrated their National Education Day or HARDIKNAS in Bahasa. On this date, also the birth of the national education father, Kj Hadjar Dewantara, who contributed to the national education in Indonesia.

According the Front Mahasiswa Nasional (FMN) or in English is National Students Front, the current education system in Indonesia is facing the expensive cost, the decreasing subsidy, corruption, privatization of the public colleges and the undemocratic climate in the universities and colleges.

Therefore, FMN strongly feel that the budget for the education is important in order to solve the crisis in education. With the minimal 20% of the national budget for the education, children of the farmer, labour and the urban poor people will able to access to the education. Currently, the Indonesian government only allocate 5% of their national budget for the education in 2005. (It's about Rp. 25 quintrilion).

The reason of the government to allocate 5% of the national budget is because they think the people also need to bear some of the responsibilities for the education. FMN cited that the government is not out of funding because the restructuring of the bank in Indonesia already costed Rp. 650 quintrilion.

Therefore, the FMN called the Indonesian government:
1. Strive for SBY-Kalla regime to give the allocation of budget for education as 20 % from the total budget to guarantee the 9 years education and expense the education of the children of labor, farmer, urban poor people from elementary school until the college.

2. Strive for SBY-Kalla regime to withdrawal the Government Regulation about the Privatization (BHMN-isation) of state-owned college and not to issue any other policy which has a privatization of state-owned college.

3. Strive for SBY-Kalla regime to stop the corruption of education budget in its bureaucracy, and catch the corruptor as soon as possible and confiscate their property for people subsidy.

4. Strive for SBY-Kalla regime to guarantee the realization of campus democratization, which is the guaranteed the student right in active in an organization and have an expression, and participate in the college's policy making.

5. Strive for the SBY-Kalla regime to giving the job opportuinity to the youth and people generally.

For the ASA, we remain our solidarity to the Indonesian students in their steadfast campaign for the education rights. At the same time, it will be very important for the members of the ASA outside of the Indonesia to deliver our support to their campaign.

As the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference will take place in Hong Kong, the ASA also going to hold an international student and youth caucus for the education and employment. All of the members and other networks are very much welcome to participate in such caucus. Indonesia is just the tip of the iceberg.