School Offers Free Education to the Poor: Semarang, Central Java

By Barrie | July 19th, 2007 | No Comments

For some poor parents, education for their children remains a distant dream and an unaffordable luxury. The presence of a free school is rare, but it is a reality in the Chinatown area of Semarang in Central Java.

Located near Semarang River and the old Tay Kak Sie Chinese temple, the two-story school in Lombok alley in Purwodinatan subdistrict, Central Semarang, provides free education for poor students, from kindergarten through elementary school.

The Khong Kauw Hwee Children’s Education Center, first set up in 1950, provides free education to residents in its neighborhood and currently has 67 kindergarten students and 166 elementary school students.

“Many people don’t believe me. When I attended a seminar for teachers, education officials and school principals in Jakarta in 1998 and told them about the school, they were all surprised,” said Indrawati, the school principal.

“They didn’t believe me. There’s rarely such a thing as free education, especially at a private school. But that’s what we offer here.”

No fees are collected when students attend the school and the students’ parents do not have to pay monthly tuition. The students are provided with school uniforms, shoes and textbooks.
The students, aged between five and 12, are also given regular free meals, which they can even take home.

Its a regular sight to see packs of instant noodles on the students’ desks.

“All the students that attend the school come from poor families,” Indrawati said.

A written letter from the subdistrict office that confirms the economic status of a student is the only prerequisite to qualify to attend the school.

Despite the school’s elegant appearance, no cars can be seen collecting students after school. Most parents come to collect their children by bicycle or on foot.

“My mother takes me to school by bicycle and then I walk home. I’m used to it. My mother sews clothes and my father is working in Kalimantan. I’m happy here,” student Rudi said.

Indrawati said the school aims to provide the students with a sound education. Aside from formal subjects, students are also taught ethics, hygiene and good behavior.

Mandarin language is another extracurricular subject offered at the school. “Students here can learn to speak Bahasa Indonesia, Javanese, English and Mandarin,” Indrawati said.

“Teaching the children is not easy. We might teach them ethics at school but at home, the situation might not allow them to exercise it.

“There is a family of 11 people living in a four meter-by-four meter place. How can they survive there? It’s a miracle.”

Motivating poor students is the toughest challenge for the 23 teachers at the school.

Since the school is located in the city’s Chinatown, most students came from poor Chinese families.

Rohyati, a former graduate of the school, now teaches there. “I graduated (from elementary school) here … then I was sent to high school for free. After I finished my education, I decided to come back and teach here. This is something I can do to return the favor.”

The school receives around Rp 4 million in assistance from donors per month. But monthly operational costs amount to Rp 8 million, meaning the school has to come up with the rest.

“I don’t know. God is good to us. There is always help which allows the school to go on,” said the head of the Khong Kau Hwee Foundation, Tan Sing Loen, 74.

He said the temple nearby used to shelter people displaced by the independence war. The school started from an idea to set up a course to help teach displaced children to read.

Suherdjoko