JAKARTA, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) - Authorities in a district on the Indonesian portion of Borneo are ordering that would-be brides and grooms have at least nine years of schooling each before tying the knot, a report said Tuesday.

Faced with soaring school drop-out levels, authorities in Tabalong district in South Kalimantan are requiring those wishing to wed to produce proof of their schooling, the Media Indonesia daily reported.

"We are trying to encourage parents and school-age children to understand the importance of schooling," a local education official told the paper.

He said local Dayak tribes put low priority on schooling for their children, some because of economic constraints, others due to the poor accessibility of schools, and some due to cultural emphasis.

Nine years of schooling is compulsory in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, but enforcement of the law is weak.