EDUCATION FUNDING WORKSHOPS FOR 11 PHASE 3 DISTRICTS

The first technical activities for the 11 phase 3 districts were Education Funding Workshops held in late June and early July in Yogyakarta for Central Java and Surabaya for East Java.

Workshop activities pictured in the photos include:

1. Magelang discussing their funding formula (DAS);
   
2. Ibu Wahyuni from the finance section of Purworejo education office in discussions with DC, Ibu Nurjanah, watched by consultants, Bpk Prima and Bpk Toto;
   
3. Participants from Sukoharjo discussing DAS;
   
4. Purbalingga doing the same, watched by Bpk Syaeful, a resource person from Pati district.
   
5. Ibu Endang Nurmiyati, Sub-section Head of Planning, Pasuruan Education Office, explaining their school funding system;
   
6. Bpk Indro Sasono, a secondary school supervisor explaining what the participants from Semarang have agreed;
   
7. 8. 9. & 10. Situbondo, Nganjuk, Malang and Magetan discussing DAS.

How to allocate operational and maintenance funding for schools?

Given the current conditions, can we allocate education operational and maintenance funding to schools in a fair and transparent way? If it is possible how do we do it and what are the benefits? These questions are often asked by officials and staff who lead and plan educational funding in the districts.

Clear answers to these questions were given during the School Formula Funding Allocation/ Formula Funding (FF) workshops for the MBE phase 3 Districts in Yogyakarta for Central Java from 29 June – 1 July and in Surabaya for East Java from 4 – 6 July 2005. Besides presentations by expert speakers from phase 1 and 2 districts such as Pati and Batu, there were also presentations from two phase 3 districts, Magelang and Trenggalek.

With the combination of experts from the districts and from the Ministry of National Education, all districts shared their ideas, developed a common view of formula funding and were trained to develop a funding formula. Besides offering constructive criticism and providing comments and input, they also gave support to each other so that the workshop was very active, creative, and productive.

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