The Rescuers
Children’s Day, which fell on July 23, reminds us of how many children throughout the country are still deprived of their educational rights. In Papua, about 42 percent of children never make it through elementary school, or worse. Only 3.36 percent actually go on to achieve undergraduate degrees, prompting a number of institutions and individuals to help out by offering them innovative methods of teaching. They are trying to create a new educated Papua generation who are aware of their environment. Despite the many obstacles, the results have proven to be quite a surprise. Tempo English Edition reports from Indonesia’s biggest and easternmost province.
July 27, 2011
TWO small children with dark skin and curly hair stared seriously at the mathematics problem spread out in front of them. “Try counting how much is 314 4/7 minus 289 ¾?” asked physics expert Yohanes Surya while writing the problem on the paper. Before 10 seconds had passed, they answered: “24 23/28.” Yohanes smiled with satisfaction, while giving them the next, more difficult problem. This time was the same. They completed it in a matter o
...