Supporting 'GAUL', NTB Governor Asks PKH Children to be Prioritized

MATARAM, NTB (August 9, 2020) - The Family Hope Program (PKH) is a program of providing conditional social assistance to underprivileged families who are designated as PKH Beneficiary Families (KPM).

The Ministry of Social Affairs launched PKH in 2007, as a conditional social assistance program (bansos). PKH opens access for underprivileged families, especially pregnant women and children, to take advantage of various health service facilities (faskes) and educational service facilities (fasdik) available around them.

As time goes by, the benefits of PKH have also begun to be encouraged to cover persons with disabilities and the elderly by maintaining their level of social welfare in accordance with the mandate of the constitution and the Nawacita of the President of the Republic of Indonesia.

Through PKH, underprivileged families are encouraged to have access and utilize basic social services of health, education, food and nutrition, care, and assistance.

The Ministry of Social Affairs urges the Regional Government to share the budget and make policies that support the achievement of program objectives, as was done by the Governor of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Zulkieflimansyah.

Not staying still, he wrote to the Heads of State/Private Universities in Regencies/Cities as part of their seriousness in supporting the Innovation of GAUL (Let’s Go to College Movement) Program for children from underprivileged families of PKH.

Through the Head of the NTB Provincial Social Service, Ahsanul Khalik, Zulkieflimansyah said that the innovation was in direct contact with the vision of the Provincial Government to realize the Gemilang Generation so that his party felt the need to take a step.

“The Governor of NTB has issued a letter of support for the Let’s Go to College Movement (GAUL) PKH NTB. The letter is addressed to Campus Leaders in Regencies/Cities throughout NTB," said Head of the NTB Provincial Social Service, Ahsanul Khalik, Thursday (6/8).

According to him, the letter numbered 608.1/260/0112505/2020 on July 21, 2020, contains things that need to be done immediately in order to realize the vision of the NTB Provincial Government, namely realizing NTB Gemilang, as well as the Innovation for the Let’s Go to College Movement (GAUL) of PKH which has initiated by the Social Service of the Province of NTB supported by PKH human resources at the Regency/City Social Service, namely to realize the Generation of Hope, Smart and Brilliant.

"The issuance of the letter also brings hope that PKH children will get priority opportunities to continue their education through the Indonesian Smart Card-College (KIP-Kuliah) program and other scholarships," said Zulkieflimansyah, quoted by Khalik.

Furthermore, the former Head of the Provincial BPBD explained, 'GAUL' PKH is an innovation with a model for fostering Class XII students at the SMA/SMK/Equivalent levels for children from underprivileged families who receive PKH social assistance in NTB Province. "The parties involved are various, ranging from the Provincial/Regency/City Social Service, PKH HR, to non-binding private parties," said Khalik.

GAUL innovation, he continued, consists of three business processes. He explained, first, mapping (mapping) Class XII students at the SMA/SMK/equivalent level. Second, education and motivation (coaching), and third, advocacy (assistance) in the process of accessing the KIP-Kuliah/Bidik Misi program, other scholarships and relief on Tuition Fees (UKT).

"The implementation of the PKH GAUL business process will follow the schedule of new student admissions set by the government through the Higher Education Entrance Test Institute (LTMPT) every year, including the registration process and KIP-Kuliah/Bidikmisi assistance, as well as other scholarships," he explained again.

Based on phase III data for 2020, he added, PKH interventions in the underprivileged family component were 91,247 high school/vocational/equivalent children. Assistance and advocacy is done, he said, because children disadvantaged families PKH who completed high school and wish to continue their studies into higher education is not included in the categories of recipients of PKH social assistance, "So, PKH is no longer coveringdisadvantaged families with the element / component," he explained .

For now, data compiled by the NTB Provincial Social Service states that as many as 210 children have been advocated to enroll in various state/private universities, through the KIP-Kuliah route and independently in 2020. "Meanwhile, from 2016 to 2019, it was recorded as many as 56 children in districts/cities have been advocated," he explained.

According to Khalik, PKH children deserve to be prioritized because the source of their family data comes from the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS). "PKH children are prioritized, because their families come from DTKS data," said Khalik.