Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – More than 390,000 Lampung children have dropped out of school this year to help their families earn a living despite billions of rupiah being set aside to provide scholarships for underprivileged families.

The Indonesian Teachers Dignity Forum (FMGI) says these figures are "ironic" because more than Rp 20 billion (US$2.17 million) has been allocated in scholarship funds to Lampung province.

Gino Vanolie, a secretary to the FMGI, wants to know where the money has gone and says the province has been allocated abundant funds, made up of scholarship money, in addition to billions of rupiah from the fuel increase compensation fund.

"So if the number of dropouts continue (to) increase at a time when there are abundant education funds, it is very ironical," he said.

"Besides missing (their) target, the achievement of the local education office (in Lampung) needs reviewing."

With the provision of up to Rp 30 billion in funds there should have been no dropouts or street children in Lampung, he said.

The FMGI also said many school-aged children were dropping out of school because their parents were unaware their children may be eligible for a scholarship fund.

Zainal Mutaqim of the Lampung Education Office said last week the current number of school dropouts in Lampung was 393,952, compared to 228,000 in 2004.

"This (is) temporary data," he said. "The real number can be higher or (lower)."

Mutaqim said of the total number of dropouts, his office had managed to "save" 10,960 students by giving them "a kind of equalization program".

He said those who had not received the equalization program reached 382,992 – consisting of 339,917 dropouts from elementary schools, 23,314 from junior high schools and 19,761 from senior high schools.

Mutaqim attributed the high number of dropouts to poverty and said some children were forced to start working from the age of six.

Without providing any figures, Mutaqim also said many students in the province, including those living at fishermen residential sites in Teluk Lampung, had never attended school at all.

Another reason some children are not receiving any funds in Lampung is that scholarships are being granted to children whose parents were wealthy enough, said Gino.

"That was why students from poor families could not continue their studies," he said.