Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Corruption watchdogs say there is no point in increasing the national education budget to the constitutionally required 20 percent of total spending until corruption in the sector is dealt with.
"We are pretty disappointed to know that the education budget is still below 20 percent of the whole budget, but we also can't be sure that a larger budget would lead to better quality education," Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Ade Irawan said.
The government unveiled the 2007 draft state budget last week when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivered his state of the nation address at the House of Representatives.
In the draft, the government proposes only Rp 51 trillion (US$5.6 billion) or 10.2 percent of the total budget for education.
Last year, the government had committed to raising the spending to 14.7 percent in 2007, as part of staged increase rising to 17.5 percent in 2008 and 20.1 percent in 2009.
However, this fiscal year, the government allocated only 9.1 percent of the state budget for education, below the promised 11 percent. Several ICW studies, meanwhile, have shown that corruption is rife in education ministry projects.
"Based on our monitoring, about 20 percent of the current Rp 43 trillion budget, is controlled by the ministry's headquarters in Jakarta. Budget allocations are not made publicly," Ade said.
ICW studies in 11 regions, including Garut in West Java, Sumba in West Nusa Tenggara, and Makassar in South Sulawesi, show that only 20 percent of operational budgets transferred from the ministry are used for teaching activities.
The rest of the funds are given to sub-district offices because principals in each region need good reports from regional officials to keep their jobs.
State University of Jakarta (UNJ) education expert Lodi Paat said that cleaning up the management of the existing money was more important than increasing the budget.
"If they get bigger budgets but fail to manage them properly, it will not lead to any improvement in the quality of education," he said.
Ade said the ministry should be more transparent when allocating budgets. "The public must be given the chance to participate in, or at least to know about the budgeting process, to keep it accountable," he said.