Educationists move to help out in Indonesia

Tuesday May 4, 2010
Educationists move to help out in Indonesia

CHINESE education group Dong Jiao Zong is lending a hand to their Indonesian counterparts to set up a similar organisation to develop and protect Chinese education in the country.
Dong Jiao Zong comprises Dong Zong (the United Chinese School Committees Association) and Jiao Zong (the United Chinese School Teachers Association).
Nanyang Siang Pau quoted Dong Zong president Dr Yap Sin Tian as saying that the Chinese community in Indonesia was hopeful that Chinese education there could be developed systematically by setting up more trilingual schools.
“These schools will teach Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia and English. They will replace those that teach Chinese through tuition classes,” he said.
Chinese education, banned in 1960s when Suharto became the president, was only revived in the 1990s.
Dr Yap said there were 60 trilingual schools in Indonesia, all set up and supported by the Chinese community.
“The problem for Chinese education in Indonesia is the severe shortage of teaching staff.
“It is very difficult to fill the vacancies, especially when it is compulsory for all primary school teachers to be at least undergraduates,” he said.
Therefore, he said, the New Era College would help the Chinese schools in Indonesia train 30,000 to 40,000 Chinese teachers.
> China Press reported that all 410 fully government-aided Chinese primary schools would have their water, electricity and sewerage bills paid by the Federal Government from June 1.
The daily quoted Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong as saying that the ministry began planning early this year to cancel the utility bill payments that it implemented in 2006.
“However, the schools objected, so the ministry decided to continue the payments and ensure that all three bills are paid by the ministry,” he said.