Medan, North Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono said the government was planning to allocate Rp250 trillion in 2012 for improvements in the country`s education sector.

Speaking during a visit to Khairul Imam Education Foundation here on Saturday, the minister said 220,000 classrooms in the country`s schools were in damaged condition and badly needed repairs.

He said many of the classrooms were very old and had been in use since the 1970s.

Because of its desire to create a good education system the government would repair all the classrooms and the target was to complete the repair work by 2012.

He said the government intended to make improvements in the physical facilities as well as the system of national education, noting that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had called for a significant change in education management in the country.

Of the Rp250 trillion budget, 60 percent would be used for paying employees and the remaining 40 percent for improving the infrastructure and other education-related programs.(*)

Editor: Ruslan Burhani
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