SMP School Construction in Indonesia Gathers Momentum - 6 March 2007

The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, attended a school inauguration ceremony in Bekasi, West Java for the construction of one of about 2000 junior secondary schools to be built in Indonesia over the next three years. The $355 million Australia Indonesia Partnership's Basic Education Program will fund the construction or expansion of schools in 19 Indonesian provinces. Up to 1225 schools are expected to be completed by the end of 2007. The construction program will create more than 330,000 new junior secondary school places for 13 to 15 year olds, targeting children from poor and remote areas.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Alexander Downer, attended an inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, 6 March 2007, in Bekasi, West Java. He visited the construction of Nurul Huda boarding school, one of about 2000 junior secondary schools to be built in Indonesia over the next three years. He was accompanied by the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia. Mr. Bill Farmer.

Local people will build the schools using locally supplied materials. They will also build the furniture for the schools. It is all a part of the program. The school sites have been selected based on an assessment of unmet demand, enrolment rates and community involvement. As a close friend of Indonesia, Australia is very happy to be supporting education in Indonesia. Australia (as does Indonesia) recognises that education has an enormously positive impact on the quality of people's lives. To enhance the people linkages, the Basic Education Program will be supported by a 'sister school' arrangement, to aid positive exchanges between Australian and Indonesian school communities.

Funding for the Basic Education Program comprises $200 million in loans and $155 million in grants. The implementing agencies will be the Indonesian Ministries of Education and Religious Affairs. The Basic Education Program is funded under the $1 billion Australia Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development announced by the Prime Minister in January 2005.

Cheryl Reid, from KGRE, recently visited a new SMP school being built in Lombok.

Here is Cheryl's report about SMPN 4 Narmada.

Our first stop was a new school at Narmada, not far out of Mataram. SMPN 4 Narmada is at Dasan Terang, surrounded by rice fields. Its construction is being funded by AusAID's Basic Education Program, in conjunction with the Indonesian Education Department, with the work done by local contractors and community members. Although the school is not fully completed, the students and teachers have moved in as they think it's important for the year 9 students to settle in before the national exams. I met some teachers in the staff room and then went on a tour of the school with English teacher Pak Andri. We visited a year 8 class taught by physics teacher Ibu Yanti and talked to some of the other students. They are all obviously happy to be in their own school at last. Until now they've been ‘borrowing’ rooms in other schools. This is the third time they've moved schools and fortunately it'll be the last time.

For more information about this program, see KGRE's Travel Page for Kalimantan and page 8 of the March 2007 magazine.

Parangloe Village, Kecamatan Manuju, Kabupaten Gowa On Friday April 13th, the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr. Bill Farmer, led the way to Parangloe Village, Kecamatan Manuju, Kabupaten Gowa to the Dedication Ceremony of just one of the new 2000 SMP schools in Indonesia. This field visit by the Ambassador, AusAID and Indonesian government officials was a highlight for that excited community of parents and students. The community really joined in with the excitement of the new junior secondary school in Parangloe Village There were hundreds of school children there to greet the Ambassador and his team from Jakarta. The school is not finished but it is well on the way to being a terrific school for the students of Munuju.

Isn't this exciting?

	A great arrival ceremony for the visitors.
SMPN 2 Manuju, Parangloe Village, Kecamatan Manuju, Kabupaten Gowa

Our new school — fantastic!

One of the early highlights of the opening ceremony was the speech given, in English, by one of the SMP students from the area. He spoke extremely well and was a real inspiration to everyone who listened to his speech. He thanked the Australian and Indonesian governments for working together to build a new school for him and his freinds. The Ambassador made a special point of thanking the students personally immediately after the student finished his speech. Two students who participated in the Dedication Ceremony. One young student, Andi Manuntungi, (left) presented the Opening Prayer while the other student, Firmansyah, (right) spoke about his new school, and in excellent English.

Other important speeches, in a mixture of English and Indonesian, were delivered by both Indonesian education offcials from both Jakarta and South Sulawesi, plus Mr Farmer, representing the Australian government. Although the visit was quite a short one, the visiting officials were taken on a tour of the school buildings. It will be a great day when they are fully completed and students are enjoying their lessons in their new buildings. The school has been built to a very high standard as local people have been responsible for the construction. It is their school for their children and grand-children SO it has to be built strong. It was mentioned several times during the morning's proceedings that the use of local Parangloe workmen in building construction, and later in furniture construction, is ensuring that quality is the very best.

The Ambassador spoke with officials as he toured the new buildings at SMPN 2 Manuju including Bupati Gowa, Mr. H. Ichsan Yasin Limpo (second from left) and Pak Suyanto, Dirjen Manajemen Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah Depdiknas (fourth from the left).

Australian Assistance to Indonesia of Rp2,5 trillion

The Ambassador presents special awards to local SD and SMP students. Congratulations to all of those very clever students. Many, many thanks to all of the people who worked so hard to make this SMPN 2 Manuju Dedication Ceremony so successful.