VP: EDUCATION REMAINS MAIN PRIORITY

Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Jan. 15 (ANTARA) - Vice President Boediono has stated that education remains the government's main priority because education is a crucial element for national progress.

"Education must be given great attention by both the government and the community, it cannot be ignored," Vice President Boediono said here on Friday, before hundreds local teachers and students.

Boediono on the occasion was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono, Education Minister M Nuh, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, and Environmental Affairs Minister M. Gusti Hatta.

He said that he emphasized the importance of education whenever he visited a region.

Every advanced country could no longer rely merely on natural resources, but more on human resources, he said.

"If there is a country which relies on natural resources, it will not make progress because natural wealth will finish sooner or later," the vice president said.

While human resources will last and education is important to improve human resources. A nation which has qualified human resources will be able to compete with other nations especially in the current globalization era, according to Boediono.

"By having qualified human resources, Indonesia will be able to compete with other nations. That's our common hope," he said.