Papuan Education: Without Special Autonomy Funds I Can't Study Abroad

A native Papuan girl feels lucky to be one of the first dozen people sent to Australia to pursue undergraduate studies at the expense of the local government.

Asna Kristina Krebu was born to a couple who works as an elementary school educator in Dosay Village, West Sentani District, Jayapura Regency.

"Without the special autonomy fund, I would never have had that opportunity because I grew up in a family where both my parents were only elementary school teachers.

"So the opportunity to study abroad is impossible, impossible, because of the high cost of studying abroad at your own expense," said Tina, the 40-year-old woman's nickname.
 
The special autonomy fund or special autonomy fund referred to by Tina is a grant from the central government to the provincial governments of Papua and West Papua who have special autonomy status.

Originally mandated in Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Papua Province, the legal umbrella was revised into Law Number 35 of 2008 to also cover the Province of West Papua.

Twenty years since the implementation of Otsus Papua, the law has been revised again which is now Law Number 2 of 2021. The budget allocation for Otsus Papua and West Papua is set at IDR 8.5 trillion in the 2022 Draft State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (RAPBN).

SOURCE : https://www.voice.com/news/2021/11/30/162417/ Pendidikan-papua-without-dana-otsus-tak-may-saya-studi-keluar-negeri