700 UI students face expulsion<\/p>\n
DEPOK (JP): About 700 University of Indonesia students said on
\nTuesday they were ready to be expelled rather than pay an extra
\nfee for the upcoming semester.<\/p>\n
Head of the UI students executive board Taufik Riyadi said he
\nand his colleagues were preparing themselves to face dismissal as
\nthey could not afford to pay the fee, called the Education
\nQuality Improvement Fund (DPKP).<\/p>\n
\"That's the worst eventuality. But if it happens, it's going
\nto be a bad precedence (for the university),\" Taufik told The
\nJakarta Post after rallying along with hundreds of other students
\nat UI campus in Depok, south of Jakarta, demanding the rectorate
\ndrop the charge.<\/p>\n
The University of Indonesia is state-owned.<\/p>\n
Taufik said the fund, which has been paid into by students
\nfrom 1999 onward, had been improperly used.<\/p>\n
\"One year on from the implementation of the DPKP, I haven't
\nseen any significant improvement in the quality of education
\nhere,\" Taufik said.<\/p>\n
\"We have new computers, yes, but the quality of lecturers is
\nstill the same. For instance, they still come to classes late.\"<\/p>\n
In July, Taufik said earlier that part of the fund was being
\nused to increase lecturers' pay.<\/p>\n
Students at the School of Exact Sciences and Engineering
\n(MIPA) have to pay Rp 1 million (US$122) for the DPKP per
\nsemester. Social science students are required to pay Rp 750,000.<\/p>\n
Besides this, all students are required to pay Rp 500,000 for
\ntuition per semester.<\/p>\n
Secretary of the UI Student Board Indra Falatehan said the
\nuniversity rectorate office was sticking with the DPKP.<\/p>\n
\"We have to understand that education is really expensive,\"
\nsaid Umar Mansur, assistant to rector for student affairs.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that since last year the university no longer
\nreceived funding from the government.<\/p>\n
However, he objected to the fact that students were being made
\nto make up the shortfall.<\/p>\n
\"The rectorate should be more creative and look for other
\nsources,\" Indra said, adding that students had suggested the
\nrectorate lure UI alumni to help with the fund.<\/p>\n
Separately, Umar said UI was struggling to cover financial
\nshortages because government funding kept decreasing.<\/p>\n
\"Last year, the government gave us Rp 14 billion, plus a Rp 3
\nbillion operational fund.<\/p>\n
\"But this year, we only got Rp 9 billion with no operational
\nfunds,\" Umar told the Post.<\/p>\n
He explained that the cost of educating a student came to an
\naverage of Rp 10 million per year. The university, he said,
\nserved an average of between 14,000 and 15,000 students per year.<\/p>\n
\"We are asking for the DPKP because we know that most students
\ncan afford it,\" Umar said.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, students who can not afford to pay can come to the
\nrectorate and ask for a reduction,\" Umar said.<\/p>\n
So far, 263 new students have applied for a reduction, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Umar said that to obtain a cut in the DPKP, students must
\nsubmit their parents' addresses and a copy of their electricity
\nbill.<\/p>\n
\"With those things, we will know if a student really can't
\nafford to pay in full or not,\" Umar said. (jaw\/21)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/700-ui-students-face-expulsion-1447893297",
"image": ""
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