CSOs and State 22, CIPS' Community Schools Project in Indonesia

Here is another noble project worth supporting. Our friends in Jakarta, new independent think tank Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) is launching a big project -- to develop NGO-administered community schools that will provide low cost but good quality education for some 36 M poor Indonesian kids. They are seeking donations for this project. In their special site for this project, CIPS wrote,

Low-cost community schools is a way to get more kids in classrooms.

Low-cost community schools are schools set up by community leaders and members to teach children from low-income families. Community schools use curricula that give parents and teachers more influence, so that schools provide their child the type of education they feel is most needed for better opportunities.

Students from low-cost community schools in Asia and Africa have even done better than their counterparts in government-run schools. Proving that quality education does not need to be expensive, and can be done.

For example, in India, poor families are willing to invest $2 a month to send their children to such community schools. Kids in these schools achieve higher scores in maths and english than children in public schools.

Being a think tank, CIPS will conduct a major study on how public basic education in Indonesia can be made more effective and less costly. The paper, when finished, will find its way in the hands of the Education Minister and Indonesian legislators. CIPS has a working relationship with some important policy makers in Indonesia.

It should be a good initiative that can be replicated in other big SE Asian countries with big population like the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar. Here in the PH for instance, I think ALL high officials and consultants of multilaterals and foreign aid (UN (WHO, ILO, UNDP, UNICEF, etc), WB, ADB, USAID, etc.) plus high PH government officials and legislators, them who endlessly call for "more government spending in public education", do NOT bring their kids to public elementary and high schools, except in science HS. That alone is a clear admission by the eople working for those institutions that they have high distrust of the quality of public education.

I admire and support the CIPS for this project. Friends and readers, please consider giving a donation for this project. Thank you.
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See also:
CSOs and State 18: Civil Society as Lobbyists for More Government? Cigarette Warning Bill, March 02, 2014 

CSOs and State 19: UP Maroons and UP Alumni, March 24, 2014 
CSOs and State 20, Gawad Kalinga and Housing for the Poor, June 08, 2015 

CSOs and State 21, Patient Organizations, PAPO and HealthPRx, June 09, 2015