"President Prabowo Subianto's plan to increase the allocation of the education budget should be used properly to build decent infrastructure in underdeveloped areas," the deputy chairperson noted in a statement from her office on Monday.
Wijayati made this statement after visiting several schools in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) with inadequate facilities, including Central Kupang 7 Junior High School, which still occupies an emergency building.
"The school was built in 2016, but the roof is still made of rattan leaves, the walls are made of palm fronds, and most educational activities are carried out in borrowed elementary school buildings. This shows injustice in the distribution of education," she pointed out.
She then urged the government to improve the education budget allocation system immediately. According to the deputy chairperson, several schools in remote areas, such as NTT, should be the main priority for improving education quality and quantity.
"We must prioritize education and not only as a political promise. Our young generation in remote areas should not become the victims of injustice," Wijayati remarked.
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Earlier, President Prabowo stated that in 2025, the government had allocated Rp17.15 trillion (US$1 billion) to rehabilitate 10,440 public and private schools.
"To improve education services to be more qualified and equitable, the government has allocated Rp17.15 trillion in 2025 to rehabilitate, repair, and renovate 10,440 public and private schools," he stated at the National Teacher's Day commemoration on November 28.
According to Prabowo, the funds would be channeled directly to schools through a cash transfer scheme to be managed independently by each school.
He noted that through such a self-managed approach, schools can utilize the budget to source building materials locally and empower area workers.
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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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