City stops registration fees in schools<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city administration announced on Tuesday its new policy of
\nexempting all students of state junior and senior high schools
\nfrom paying registration fees beginning this year.<\/p>\n
Speaking in a hearing with City Council Commission E for
\nsocial welfare affairs, head of the Jakarta Education Agency
\nSukesti Martono said that the city would disburse Rp 3 billion
\n(US$333,333) to cover the registration fees of all schools.<\/p>\n
He claimed the subsidization of registration fees -- together
\nwith the abolition of examination fees that was enforced this
\nyear -- was aimed at helping the students' parents.<\/p>\n
"We initiated these two programs to help the students'
\nparents. Both will be covered by the 2002 city budget," Sukesti
\nsaid in the hearing.<\/p>\n
Elementary school students entering school are no longer
\nrequired to pay registration fees as of three years ago but new
\nstudents of junior and senior high schools were still required to
\npay Rp 6,000 and Rp 8,000 respectively for registration forms
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Besides abolishing the registration fees, the city
\nadministration also subsidized examination fees this year. It
\ndisbursed Rp 10.4 billion for the examination which started
\nearlier this month.<\/p>\n
However, the amount allocated is still small when compared
\nwith the city budget which amounted Rp 9.3 trillion this year.<\/p>\n
Sukesti said, however, the city administration could not
\nrequire schools to scrap the entrance fee, which could amount to
\nmillions of rupiah in certain popular schools.<\/p>\n
He claimed the entrance fee was needed by the schools for
\ntheir own needs since the administration only paid teachers'
\nsalaries and the cost of building maintenance.<\/p>\n
"If they want to install air-conditioners in their classrooms,
\nfor example, they could use the entrance fee," Sukesti said.<\/p>\n
He asked the schools to discuss the entrance fee with the
\nstudents' parents before deciding the amount which should be
\npaid.<\/p>\n
He said the entrance fee should also be discussed with the
\nparents two weeks after the students entered the classes, not
\nwhen registering at the schools.<\/p>\n
"The schools cannot expel students whose parents cannot pay
\nthe entrance fee. The school' principals will be fired if they
\nare found to have forced parents to pay the fees," he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Commission E chairwoman Wasilah Sutrisno urged the
\nagency to set a regulation on a maximum entrance fee which could
\nbe applied for all schools.<\/p>\n
"We regret that the agency cannot set a maximum entrance fee,"
\nWasilah said.<\/p>\n
In the past, parents were required to state their readiness to
\ndonate to the schools. The students, whose parents were ready to
\npay millions of rupiah, would be accepted by the schools.<\/p>\n
It is predicted some 119,000 junior high school graduates will
\nenter state high schools, while 138,000 elementary school
\ngraduates will enter the state junior high schools, and some
\n150,000 new students will enter state elementary schools in July
\nthis year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-stops-registration-fees-in-schools-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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