Education to get biggest state budget allocation

JAKARTA(Antara): President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he had agreed to give education the biggest state budget allocation among all state-financed sectors in order to support the improvement of the quality of education in the country.

"The education sector will be given priority and the largest amount of subsidy. Believe me, the government with a clear and rational mind will strive to manage and spend the budget more fairly," he said at a meeting with participants of the 3rd national meeting of the Association of Indonesian Private Universities (APTISI) at the State Palace.

The President, flanked by Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo, Minister/State Secretary Hatta Rajasa, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno, said he had agreed to continuously increase the education budget to fulfill the mandate of the constitution.

According to the Global Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum 2006-2007, Indonesia now ranks 50th out of 125 countries or 19 grades higher than before in the matter of economic competitiveness.

In the same period, the quality of the country`s education system ranks 23rd. "It is improving. Only Singapore and Malaysia rank above us while other Asean countries are below us," the president said.