Author: admin

Papua (ANTARA) – Implementing an integrated education method can be a solution to lower the dropout rate in the region, according to the Papua’s Education, Library, and Archives Office.”We have implemented the free formal and non-formal integrated education scheme, (and we offer) a dorm and a multi-grade school in the same building, so children who cannot read, write, and calculate are allowed to attend (non-formal) school,” the office’s acting head, Protasius Lobya, told ANTARA here on Saturday.

ccording to the office’s data, the number of dropouts in Papua in 2022 had reached 407,546, and this data is currently being updated for 2023.

Lobya explained that children studying in the non-formal program are allowed to wear school uniforms akin to those in formal education, and when they are ready, they can attend the one-stop formal school.

“Next, we will improve school facilities and increase the number of teachers,” he remarked.

He pointed out that several students dropped out of school owing to the family’s economic conditions and the distance between their homes and schools.

“In 2022, Papua’s students’ dropout number in the elementary school level (SD) was 147,778; junior high school (SMP) was 131,878; and high school (SMA) was 127,889,” he stated.

Furthermore, he noted that the formation of new provinces will drive changes in the regulation regarding the education management authority.

“The new provinces and districts change the regulations in the (education) authority, which affects the educational structure of Papua,” he remarked.

One of the high schools that becomes part of the integrated education scheme is the Papua Sports School (Smankor) that was renamed to “Integrated Senior High School”.

ccording to the office, under the program, classes in the integrated high school will be observant of the students’ talents and place students with similar talents in the same classroom.

The Integrated High School will be based on social ecology, which means it adapts to the Papuan society’s culture, an official remarked.

Source: Antara News Agency

Southwest Papua (ANTARA) – The provincial government of Southwest Papua has decided to address extreme poverty in all its territories through the Paitua program.The Paitua program is an old age social security intended for the elderly population, acting Governor of Southwest PapuaMuhammad Musa’ad said here on Friday.

“Thus, for parents over the age of 65 years, the government will provide Rp250 thousand in cash every month,” he informed.

ccording to Musa’ad, this action will be undertaken since the government has aresponsibility for addressing poverty, which has been prevalent throughout this time.

Thus, the government has decided that a strategic step is necessary through programs for handling poverty.

One of the factors behind extreme poverty in Southwest Papua is the fact that family culture is held in high esteem in the province, he said.

“Usually, within a single family, parents of the two couples live together in a single house, which puts a major burden on the couple,” he explained.

To address the poverty issue, he conveyed the goal of the program to all district heads and mayors so that they can implement the Paitua program in every region.

budget will be provided for the program to support the reduction in the poverty rate.

“We will prepare an adequate budget and district heads/mayors should prepare the funds so that we can work together and synergize to reduce poverty,” Musa’ad said.

Earlier, the provincial government also committed to expediting the handling of malaria cases, which are still rampant in the province, through the mosquito nets provision program.

Mosquito nets will be distributed to each malaria endemic area, the head of health services at the Southwest Papua Health Office, Susan Wanane, said here on Wednesday.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Communication and Informatics Ministry continues to boost the readiness of Bali, South Kalimantan 1, and South Sumatra 1 broadcasting areas ahead of the analog switch-off (ASO) implementation in the regions on March 20.”The Communication and Informatics Ministry continues to monitor ASO preparations in the three regions, especially the provision of set top boxes (STB) for poor households,” the ministry’s Director General for Public Information and CommunicationUsman Kansong told ANTARA on Friday (March 3).

The STB distribution to impoverished households at the three broadcasting areas had reached 45 percent as of Wednesday (March 1, 2023).

The director general revealed that several obstacles, including extreme weather, hindered the distribution of STBs in some areas.

“One of the obstacles (to disburse the STB) is the extreme weather in (the provinces of) South Kalimantan and South Sumatra. However, this does not change the target of (our) preparations (to start the ASO) on March 20, 2023,” he said.

The Communication and Informatics Ministry also coordinates with the Trade Ministry as well as the Electronics Business Association (Gabel) to ensure the availability of STB in the market.

The Bali broadcast area includes the eight districts of Jembrana, Tabanan, Badung, Gianyar, Klungkung, Bangli, Karangasem, Buleleng as well as one city, Denpasar.

South Kalimantan 1 broadcast area covers the cities of Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru as well as the districts of Banjar, Barito Kuala, and Tanah Laut.

Meanwhile, the South Sumatra 1 broadcast area covers Palembang City, Banyuasin District, Ogan Ilir District, and Ogan Komering Ilir District.

Some 506 stations out of the total of 695 television stations throughout Indonesia have carried out full digital broadcast, while 62 others are making simulcasts — or conducting analog and digital broadcasts simultaneously.

In addition, 47 television stations are still using analogue broadcast and are in the midst of making the shift to digital television.

The Communication and Informatics Ministry had announcedthat it would also prepare a Digital Broadcasting System (DBS) in 2023 for 113 blank spot areas not covered by analog television broadcasting services.

The term “blank spot area” refers to regions that can only access television broadcasts through satellite and paid television services.

Source: Antara News Agency

Central Sulawesi (ANTARA) – The Central Sulawesi provincial government accords priority to social prosperity as a key tool in regional development under the efforts to alleviate poverty, Deputy Governor of Central Sulawesi Ma’mun Amir stated here Saturday.The Central Sulawesi provincial government harbors a vision of “Moving Swiftly toward a more Prosperous and Developed Central Sulawesi.”

Regional development missions and work programs, such as social prosperity development, are some of the endeavors in pursuit of realizing this vision.

To this end, the Central Sulawesi provincial government distributes social aid to districts and cities.

These include providing around Rp1.4 billion for Palu, Rp702 million for Sigi, Rp1.8 billion for Donggala, Rp3.7 billion for Parigi Moutong, and Rp1 billion for Poso.

In addition, Rp694 million is provided for Morowali, Rp761 million for North Morowali, Rp841 million for Banggai, Rp315 million for Banggai Kepulauan, and Rp340 million for Banggai Laut.

Lastly, the government offers Rp1 billion for Toli-toli, Rp704 million for Tojo Unauna, and Rp662 million for Buol.

“This social aid all comes from the regional budget,” Amir explained.

He expects that through the aid, governments at the district and city level can optimize their handling of social problems and undertake poverty intervention steps in development.

Central Sulawesi continues its poverty-reduction efforts, such as by optimizing the management of natural resources, to improve the people’s prosperity, he stated.

“The government opens investment as much as possible to improve prosperity and reduce the poverty rate, but it has to be done based on applicable regulations,” he noted.

ccording to the provincial government’s data, the open unemployment rate in Central Sulawesi in 2020 stood at 3.77 percent and declined to 3.75 percent in 2021.

Meanwhile, in 2022, the unemployment rate in Central Sulawesi slid to 3.07 percent.

Central Sulawesi’s poverty rate in 2021 was recorded at 13 percent, but the figure has declined to 12.33 percent in 2022.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Social Affairs Ministry dispatched its Disaster Preparedness Cadets (Tagana) and distributed food, tents, mattresses, and blankets to assist victims of the Pertamina Plumpang fire incident in North Jakarta.Ministry’s acting Director of Social Protection for Natural Disaster Victims Adrianus Allanoted that Tagana personnel had conducted an assessment to list the needs of residents displaced due to being affected by the fire on Friday night.

Based on the results of assessment, the ministry then sent aid to the fire victims on Friday at midnight, he stated.

“We have sent logistics from our Bekasi warehouse for the affected victims, such as 500 ready-to-eat food packages, children’s food, kids wear, 50 children’s equipment packages, 100 mattresses, 150 blankets, as well as four refugee tents that have been installed on-site,” he detailed on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s Director General of Social Protection and SecurityRobben Rico ensured that all assistance had been distributed to the fire-affected residents.

Rico noted that as many as 30 members of Tagana in North Jakarta, nine members of the Tagana Task Force, members of Social Protection for Natural Disaster Victims (PKSBA) and Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims (PKSBS) of the Social Affairs Ministry, as well as officers from the Jakarta Handayani center had been deployed to help residents affected by the fire.

“Tagana helped to manage the public kitchen, with the capacity of one thousand food packages for meeting the residents’ needs,” he revealed.

In addition, Tagana personnel also conducted further assessments of the victims and affected families with their compensation, Rico revealed.

Tagana has listed 18 fatalities in the fire that broke out at the Pertamina Plumpang fuel terminal.

Members of Tagana have also set up refugee posts in several neighborhoods near the fuel terminal and set up a public kitchen at the North Jakarta Social Service Office.

Rico stated that the Ministry of Social Affairs will provide psychosocial support and trauma recovery services to residents affected by the fire incident.

“We will cooperate with related institutions, for example, from universities or the Indonesian psychologist association,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News Agency