Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JAKARTA13494
2006-12-15 08:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR MEETING WITH MINISTER OF NATIONAL

Tags:  ID 
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VZCZCXYZ0021
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJA #3494/01 3490802
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 150802Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2474
UNCLAS JAKARTA 013494 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP
AIDAC FOR ANE

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ID

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETING WITH MINISTER OF NATIONAL
EDUCATION


UNCLAS JAKARTA 013494

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP
AIDAC FOR ANE

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ID

SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETING WITH MINISTER OF NATIONAL
EDUCATION



1. (SBU) Summary. Ambassador Pascoe met with Minister of
National Education Dr. Bambang Sudibyo on December 11 to
discuss President Bush's six-year, $157 million Indonesia
Education Initiative. Minister Sudibyo complained that he
was not familiar with the U.S. program and had not been
able to effectively brief President Yudhoyono prior to
President Bush's November 20 visit to Indonesia.
Ambassador Pascoe reviewed the major elements of President
Bush's education initiative, being carried out by USAID and
the Public Affairs Section. He underscored the on-going
partnership with the Ministry at the national, provincial
and local level, and presented key results of the program
since its April 2005 start. Minister Sudibyo raised three
concerns: insufficient written reports to the Ministry; a
desire to increase control over where the program operates;
and U.S. funds should be channeled through the Ministry of
Finance. In response, the Ambassador welcomed more GOI
engagement in evaluating the program, but cautioned that
re-designing the successful program, which directly
supports the Ministry's own policy and strategy for
education reform, would be misguided. End Summary


2. (SBU) Ambassador Pascoe met with Minister of National
Education, Dr. Bambang Sudibyo, on December 11. The
meeting followed President Bush's November 20 visit to
Indonesia during which President Bush and President
Yudhoyono highlighted the partnership between the U.S. and
Indonesia on revitalizing the education system for the next
generation of Indonesia's leaders.


3. (SBU) Ambassador Pascoe presented the major components
of the $157 million President Bush Indonesia Education
Initiative and the key results achieved since its inception
in April 2005. Designed in close collaboration with the
Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of
Religious Affairs, the initiative directly responds to GOI
priorities by: helping local governments and communities
effectively manage decentralized education; enhancing the
quality of teaching and learning to improve student
performance; providing youth with relevant work and life
skills to better compete for jobs; and supporting higher
education exchanges and opportunities to study intensive
English in the United States.


4. (SBU) The Minister stated that he and his staff were
not aware of President Bush's Indonesia Education
Initiative. Therefore, he had been unable to effectively

brief President Yudhoyono prior to President Bush's visit.
The Ambassador reviewed the strong on-going partnership
with the Ministry of National Education at the central,
provincial and local level in implementing the program.
Activities under the program directly support the
Ministry's policies and strategic plan for education
reform, in areas such as teacher professional development,
early childhood education, education management and
finance, and relevant formal and equivalency education for
youth. Following this, one of the Minister's colleagues in
the meeting, holding a set of fact sheets on the U.S.
education program, admitted that he and other Ministry of
National Education staff regularly participate in meetings
on the U.S. education program.


5. (SBU) The Minister raised three concerns. He
complained that he has not received sufficient written
reports regarding program implementation. The Ambassador
pledged to increase written reporting to the Ministry.
Stating that Indonesia should decide who benefits from the
education program, not the U.S., the Minister expressed a
desire for increased Ministry control and involvement in
strategic decisions. The Ambassador explained that all
districts and schools are selected through participatory
consultation with Ministry of National Education and
Ministry of Religious Affairs officials at the provincial
and district level, based on criteria and guidelines set by
these Ministries along with the Coordinating Ministry for
People's Welfare at the national level.


6. (SBU) This process reflects the decentralized system
in Indonesia and the Ministry of National Education's own
stated policy to facilitate the transfer of education
service delivery to the local level, while providing
standards and policy guidance from Jakarta. At the heart
of this concern is the Minister's regret that the U.S.
education program is authorized under a bilateral agreement
with the Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare rather
than his Ministry. This decision was made both for
coordination purposes given the array of GOI ministries
involved in the education sector, but also due to concerns
about corruption within the Ministry of National Education.
The Minister's third issue related to the nature of USG
assistance funds. He argued that U.S. funds should be

channeled through the Ministry of Finance and be reflected
in the national budget. [Note: Dr. Sudibyo was Minister of
Finance during the Wahid administration.] This is a common
misperception and the Ambassador explained that as grant
funding, not loan funding or direct budget support, U.S.
assistance is off-budget and implemented via bilateral
agreements with relevant GOI ministries.


7. (SBU) In discussing his meeting with President
Yudhoyono, the Minister implied that there was a need to
rethink and restructure President Bush's Indonesia
Education Initiative. The Ambassador reiterated that the
U.S. education program directly supports the Minister's own
policies and objectives for the education sector, was
designed together with the Ministry, and that re-designing
a successful program which is operating in 1,000 schools,
has trained over 25,000 educators to date, and has assisted
400,000 students, would only be a disservice to the many
teachers, parents and children benefiting from President
Bush's initiative. The Ambassador also noted that the
education program is a major component of the USG
assistance program in Indonesia and reflects the strong
U.S.-Indonesia partnership.

PASCOE