Additional school fees must be approved by PTA<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The City education authority yesterday told
\nchief administrators of state high schools that any additional
\nfees charged to students outside officially recognized admission
\nfees must be negotiated with parent-teacher associations (PTA).<\/p>\n
Kusnan Ismukanto, head of the city branch of the Ministry of
\nEducation and Culture, also warned 288 headmasters of state-run
\njunior high schools that these additional fees must not be linked
\nto official admission fees.<\/p>\n
The meeting was held after strong complaints were raised about
\nthe soaring admission fees facing parents who enroll their
\nchildren into junior and senior high schools.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, 166 headmasters of state-run senior high schools
\ngathered at Kusnan's office to present their side of the issue.<\/p>\n
\"Don't ask for any donations from new students or impose
\nadditional fees on them,\" Kusnan said yesterday.<\/p>\n
By regulation, parents are only required to pay admission fees
\nand the cost of a packet of uniforms; both fees are set by the
\nCity administration.<\/p>\n
The admission fee for junior high schools is Rp 35,000 ($16)
\nand Rp 40,000 ($18) for senior high schools. The cost of a packet
\nof uniforms is Rp 55,700 ($25) and Rp 68,500 ($31) for junior and
\nsenior high school students respectively.<\/p>\n
Parents have complained that some high schools have been
\ncharging hundreds of thousand of rupiah in additional fees during
\nthe enrollment process.<\/p>\n
The administration has already reprimanded headmasters of 20
\nstate-run high schools for charging new students tuition fees in
\nexcess of the government set levels.<\/p>\n
Kusnan said that since education is the collective
\nresponsibility of the government and people, school
\nadministrators can raise additional fees from parents as they see
\nfit. \"But don't take the donation during the current admission
\nperiod,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He admitted that the budget available for each state school is
\nbarely sufficient to ensure quality education, and therefore
\nschool administrators must find ways to raise additional funds.<\/p>\n
\"We need funds to produce qualified graduates, and the funds
\ncan come from parents,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The government has waived the monthly tuition fees for junior
\nhigh schools since last year, when the compulsory education
\nprogram was expanded from six to nine years to include three
\nyears of junior high school.<\/p>\n
Senior high school students still pay Rp 6,000 ($3) a month.<\/p>\n
Many state-run schools, however, have continued to impose
\nfees, or called for donations from parents under agreements
\nnegotiated through parent-teacher associations.<\/p>\n
Kusnan said yesterday that such negotiations should be
\nconducted only during the month of August.<\/p>\n
He also used the opportunity yesterday to appeal to
\nheadmasters to improve their teaching, noting the disappointing
\nresults in this year's final examinations.<\/p>\n
Kusnan was uncertain as to the reasons for the falling average
\nscores on final examinations at Jakarta's junior and senior high
\nschools this year. \"Maybe the exams were more difficult this
\nyear.\"<\/p>\n
The average score of final examinations taken by senior high
\nschools dropped by nearly three points from 37.91 (for seven
\nsubjects) to 35.11. (29)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/additional-school-fees-must-be-approved-by-pta-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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