One of the problems of poverty is the unavailability of access. But the government has made an effort to give assistance to prevent impoverished and vulnerable families from getting into worse condition. One of the assistances is the Aid Programme for Unfortunate Students to give access to education.
Deputy Head of UGM Centre for Demography and Policy Studies, Pande Made Kutanegara, said the educational expenditure of each household is pretty big. Without assistance from government, the impverished households will find it more difficult to get education.
“The problem of education is also a problem of assett. If people don’t have assets or money, they wouldn’t be able to go to school,” Made said on Thursday (5/9).
The statement followed a training for field assistants for a Child Education Survey in Kaliurang from 28 August – 1 September 2013.
He added that the government has launched the Aid Programme for Unfortunate Students through the Social Protection Card mechanism. Thus, impoverished households that receive the card and have children are entitled to get the programme as well.
Meanwhile, Dyah Larasati, member of a working committee in national social assistance (TNP2K), said the programme is aimed at up to 16.6 millions of children from some 15.5 millions of holders of Social Protection Card.
“Those who should get the aid are children from elementary/junior high/senior high school levels as well as vocational schools and religious schools,” Dyah said.