Free Tuition for Students of Outstanding Achievement
Tuesday, 13 May, 2008 | 15:56 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Surabaya: Education minister Bambang Sudibyo has asked colleges that receive funding from the state budget to provide free tuition for students of outstanding achievement at the national and international level.

“Instead of talent searching, those who receive medals are truly outstanding,” Bambang told reporters on Sunday last week (11/5).

The minister went on to say he expected regents and mayors to give award to outstanding students at district and city levels.

Governors will also do the same at the provincial level, while the national level will be taken care by the central government.

“This has been determined by an educational ministerial regulation. There is Rp100 billion allocated for this purpose every year.”

Bambang said there should not be any concern about Indonesian students studying abroad on scholarship programs.

“We will continue to produce intelligent students,” he said.

Up until 2007, 51 Indonesian students were awarded gold medal in the international Olympics.

In the Asian region, Indonesia has the second largest amount of medal recipients after China.

Meanwhile, Bank Mandiri will provide a bridging loan of Rp3.2 billion to the government in order to help students of outstanding achievement to follow national selection to state universities.

The assistance covers the fee for the entry test, travel costs to where the test is held, and living costs during the test.

According to Agus Martowardojo, director of Bank Mandiri, the bridging loan shows Bank Mandiri's concern for education development in Indonesia.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said that the goal of education is not only to create a nation with a work ethic but also with the willingness to take care of each other.

“This is an inseparable goal,” he said at the commemoration of National Education Day at Airlangga University, Surabaya, yesterday (12/5).

In order to achieve this, education players should continuously improve their approaches and evaluation systems.

The President said that if this were to work, then qualified, attainable, and cheap education would be realized.

During the event, President Yudhoyono awarded Satyalancana medals to 12 principals, supervisors, and teachers from schools in remote areas.

Two of them are Ahmad Kamil, principal of elementary school in Sama village, Sulu Besi Timur sub district, Sulu Islands, North Moluccas; and Lodewik Wetipo, an elementary school teacher in Wuserem, Kurima sub district, Yahukimo district, Papua.

Yekthi HM | Reh Atemalem Susanti | Adi Mawardi