TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As many as 500 Papua and West Papua children will be schooled in 178 high schools in Java and Bali. The director general for middle education at the Education and Culture Ministry Hamid Muhammad, says these 500 children will be funded by the government in the high school education affirmation program.
Education and Culture Minister Mohammad Nuh says this affirmation program is aimed at reducing the social gap between Java and Papua. This program also aims to prevent students in education affirmation programs from experiencing culture shock when they go to universities in Java.
"Many are shocked when the go to universities and have difficulties competing with their friends," says Nuh. The affirmation program is also aimed at strengthening the relationship among cultures and uniting them as one brotherhood under the same nation.
SUNDARI SUDJIANTO