Papua undertakes cross-sectoral actions for equal access to education in 3T areas

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) – The provincial government of Papua aims to ensure equal access to education for children from border, outermost and underserved (3T) regions through cross-sectoral cooperation.

Papua Provincial Education Office chief Christian Sohilait said on Wednesday that primary and junior high school education is currently the responsibility of district and city governments.

However, his side will continue to draw attention to the quality of education in the Papuan regions.

“For example, to provide education in areas where formal education is not possible, we provide non-formal means of education such as churches, or with the help of the police, military and other related institutions,” he informed.

According to Sohilait, although the provincial government currently only has the authority to manage extraordinary schools (schools for children with special needs), charter schools, regular schools and special schools, his party is also focusing on equal education in the 3T areas.

“We continue to ensure that children in the province have equal access to education by collaborating across sectors,” he said.

He added that in order to raise the level of education in Papua, close inter-sectoral cooperation is necessary, for example with the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkompinda) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

This could help reduce the illiteracy rate in the region.

“We are confident that with this strong collaboration, education in Papua can improve,” said Sohilait, who is also acting mayor of Jayapura City.

He stressed that every child in Papua, as a representative of the future generation, has the right to receive the best education based on equality.

Several programmes have been launched to support education in the 3T regions of Papua, including the Confirmation of Secondary Education (Adem) and the Confirmation of Higher Education (Adik).

Related News: Jokowi Stresses Need for More Medical Specialists from Universities
Related news: MPR deputy chairman calls for equal access to education
Related News: MPR Speaker Pushes for Equal Access to Higher Education