TNP2K facilitates the promotion of Cash for Poor Students (BSM)

06 May 2014

Facilitated by the National Team for the Acceleration of Poverty Reduction, the Ministry of Education and Culture together with the Ministry of Religious Affairs conducted a media briefing in Jakarta on 6 May 2014 at the Millenium Sirih Hotel. It was held to promote the use of the Cash for Poor Students programme (BSM) among recipients of the Social Assistance Card (also known as KPS).

The BSM programme aims to eliminate barriers that prevent poor students from participating in school by helping them gain access to decent education services, prevent dropouts, attract poor students back into education, help students meet needs linked to school activities, support the programme of Compulsory Nine Years of Basic Education (up to high school), as well as assist in the smooth running of school programmes.

During the media briefing, the Secretary Director General of Basic Education, Dr. Thamrin Kasman, SE, M.Si, said that the government seeks to give support to children from poor families and those at risk of falling into poverty so that they can access education.

"Through the BSM programme, school-aged children from poor families/households can remain in school and not drop out, so that in the future they are can break the chains of poverty felt by their parents. The BSM programme also supports the government's commitment to boost enrolment rates in the poor and remote kabupaten/cities, and among poor and marginalised groups," he said.

Educational Director of Madrasahs, Prof. Dr. Phil.H.N., Nurkholis Setiawan, said that the priority beneficiaries for BSM in 2014 were families with KPS. In addition, he said that school/madrasahs can propose beneficiary candidates from the Family Hope Programme (PKH), orphans and victims of natural disasters.

The media briefing was attended by around 40 journalists from local and national media organisations. It marked the start of a series of activities in six provincial capitals to promote the use of KPS for accessing the BSM programme in 2014. Other activities include a radio campaign, direct outreach to targeted schools and madrasahs in more than 100 districts/cities across Indonesia, all of which will be held in May and June 2014.