Netherlands offers $20 million grant for free basic education

The Dutch Embassy in Jakarta has called on school administrators, teachers and parents to ensure a US$20 million grant from the Netherlands for the School Operational Aid (BOS) program be put to good use.

Ad Koekoek, the embassy's deputy chief of mission, said the grant, to be disbursed through the World Bank, was meant to support the Indonesian government's efforts to provide free basic education through to ninth grade for all children.

He added it would be used to inform the public about the purpose and function of the BOS program, strengthen the program's implementation at the school committee level, and ensure adequate monitoring and evaluation of the program.

"Of course it needs active parental and committee monitoring," Koekoek said during the awarding of the grant at Gunung Elementary School in South Jakarta on Monday.

The school is one of hundreds across the country that receive operational aid from the government.

"We are strongly committed to working together with the National Education Ministry to improve access to quality education for all children in Indonesia," Koekoek said, adding he was confident about the monitoring of the fund.

"The participation of parents and school committees will help to find whether the fund reaches the destination or not. We also hope the money not only really reaches the students, but can be effective," he said.

World Bank managing director Juan Jose Daboub said the World Bank and the Netherlands were working together in new ways with Indonesia through their support of an existing government program.

"The program represents an investment in the future of young Indonesian people," he said.

Bambang Indriyanto, secretary of the education ministry's directorate general of basic education, said the BOS program was a major element of financial support in education.

"We plan to boost the program's budget by 40 percent next year," he said. "The additional funds will be used for textbooks and school operational budgets."

In 2009, primary schools in municipalities will receive Rp 400,000 per student, and elementary schools in regencies Rp 397,000 per student, Bambang said.

"Junior high schools in municipalities will receive Rp 575,000 per student, while those in regencies will get Rp 570,000."

The current aid per student ranges from Rp 254,000 to Rp 354,000.

The Netherlands has previously given Indonesia more than Rp 570 billion for various programs in the education sector.

Arnold van Der Zanden, the Dutch Embassy's first secretary of education, said his government had also provided 200 scholarships for Indonesian students through the StuNed program. The embassy has increased the 2008/2009 budget for the scholarship by 2.7 million euros, a recent press release said. (naf)