Ambassador Helps Launch PRIORITAS Basic Education Program in East Java

December 10, 2012

Ambassador Helps Launch PRIORITAS Basic Education Program in East Java

On December 6 in Surabaya, U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel joined East Java Governor DR. H. Soekarwo, SH, M.Hum, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Mission Director Derrick Brown to launch USAID’s  Prioritizing Reform, Innovation, Opportunities for Reaching Indonesia’s Teacher, Administrators, and Students (PRIORITAS) basic education program in East Java.  The PRIORITAS program will benefit more than 33,600 local students in 15 districts in East Java over the five year life of the project.  
 
Education is a key component of the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, inaugurated by Presidents Barack Obama and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2010 to increase cooperation and deepen ties between the two nations.  “Close cooperation in education is a fundamental element of the Comprehensive Partnership,” said U.S. Ambassador Marciel at the launch event. “The PRIORITAS program will help primary schools, junior secondary schools, and madrasahs provide a world-class education to Indonesia’s youth.  We hope this program will help students in East Java Province reach their full-potential and place them on a path to success.”

In addition to East Java, PRIORITAS will work in Aceh, North Sumatra, Banten, West Java, Central Java, South Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua, and West Nusa Tenggara.  The program aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning in 1,400 primary schools, junior secondary schools and madrasahs in 110 districts in these 10 provinces, focusing on low-income areas through teacher and management training.