Education Coupons for House Removed
Friday, 10 November, 2006 | 13:39 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: National Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo said that the education voucher will not be allocated through the House of Representatives (DPR) . “Block grant (funds) will not be allocate through the DPR any more,” he said yesterday (11/9).

The education voucher will only be allocated by government apparatuses that cooperate with the regional government. According to the minister, the block grant distribution will be purely the government's authority. However, the program of coupon allocation will not be removed so that aid can be received quickly by schools that need it.

The issue was questioned by many groups since DPR Chairman Agung Laksono allocated the education coupon to his constituents at Central Java some weeks ago. The coupon, which was divided up, totaled Rp450 million.

The Deputy Head of the Educational Commission at DPR Anwar Arifin said that it would not matter if DPR no longer received educational coupons for constituents. According to him, DPR has long urged the government to improve the distribution system of the block grant. “We do not object because it is actually the government's duty,” he said yesterday (11/9).

A member of the Educational Commission Masduki Baedlowi said that the government was often entrusted with one or two education coupons should they visit regions. Anwar suggested that the government maintain the regions and map recipients. “The government is not ready to distribute the vouchers because it has not yet mapped it out,” he said.

MUSTAFA MOSES