Minister Asks Company Directors to Become School Teachers

Jakarta (Antara) - State-owned Enterprise (SOE) Minister Dahlan Iskan has instructed all president directors of SOEs to teach at elementary and secondary schools as part of efforts to welcome the National Awakening Day. "All SOE president directors without exception should be prepared to share their knowledge with school children," the minister said after holding a leadership meeting on state-owned companies at the headquarters of Jamsostek (state-owned workers insurance firm), here on Thursday. According to Dahlan Iskan, besides increasing students' knowledge, the "SOE President Directors Teach" program will also become part of SOE services for the people. He said that the idea to require SOE president directors to share their knowledge with the people (elementary and secondary school students) came from Prof. Anies R. Baswedan, rector of Paramadina University. "This idea, which came from Baswedan, is good and should be followed up," the minister said. The minister said that president directors of state-owned companies could serve as sources of inspirations and knowledge of elementary and secondary school students to know how to set up a company, how to manage the firm and how to maintain its development. There are now 142 SOEs in the country. "A SOE president director can teach at two to three schools. The schedules could be adjusted to the time which would not disturb office jobs," he said. (*)