Government moves against school textbook commercialization<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Among the many problems clouding the country's educational system
\n-- feudalistic teaching methods, low teacher salaries and high
\ntuition fees -- the issue of commercialized textbooks has been a
\nproblem for parents for the past two decades.<\/p>\n
Books are a lucrative business, not only for publishers, but
\nalso for schools and certain teachers, as students are forced to
\nbuy textbooks from the school or teacher who in turn receive
\ncommissions.<\/p>\n
Musliah, a housewife, was baffled because the price of books
\nkept increasing every year, yet they cannot be passed down to her
\nyounger children.<\/p>\n
\"It used to cost around Rp 70,000 (US$7.15) per package, which
\ncomprised several textbooks. Now, it's Rp 180,000 per package,\"
\nsaid Musliah, whose husband is a small vendor.<\/p>\n
And not only textbooks. Musliah also has to buy notebooks from
\nthe school, exercise books for each school subject, as well as
\npay other expenses for class picnics and blackboard maintenance.<\/p>\n
\"Students are ridiculed in front of the whole class if he (or
\nshe) do not pay.\"<\/p>\n
Budi Putra, a volunteer from the ISCO foundation for poor
\nstudents, pointed to the textbook package in schools in East
\nJakarta which can reach up to Rp 400,000.<\/p>\n
\"Whereas many parents' maximum daily wage is only Rp 20,000,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
It was only last week that the Minister of National Education
\ntook a stance and issued a ministerial regulation No. 11\/2005 on
\nschool textbooks.<\/p>\n
The regulation bans schools from forcing students to buy
\ntextbooks, and forbids schools and their staff from selling
\ntextbooks.<\/p>\n
\"Otherwise they can be charged with a crime, or sanctioned
\nunder government regulations for civil servants,\" Bahrul Hayat, a
\nMinistry official, told reporters on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Publishers must put a price label on the book cover, and any
\ncronyism with schools or teachers may land them in jail.<\/p>\n
Based on the ministerial regulation, textbooks will also be
\nvalid for a period of five years, unless an extraordinary event
\ntakes place, the national curriculum changes, or the Minister
\nstates that certain books are no longer valid.<\/p>\n
Schools are free to select textbooks to be used in classes,
\nhowever the Ministry is now working on a recommended list of
\ntextbooks.<\/p>\n
To help poor students, schools are obliged to provide at least
\n10 copies of textbooks for each subject in their library.
\nRegional administrations are also urged to help with provision of
\nbooks.<\/p>\n
Education observer Mochtar Buchori said that before the 1980s,
\nschools provided the textbooks that were returned by students at
\nthe end of the school year.<\/p>\n
\"But it's a different age now. Education has become a
\nbusiness.\"<\/p>\n
To avoid commercialization of school books, he added, teachers
\nhave to be given an appropriate salary, and there has to be a
\ngood teacher-recruitment system and ongoing training for those in
\nthe profession.<\/p>\n
\"Teachers must realize that it's a noble profession. Don't
\nbecome a teacher if you want to be rich,\" Mochtar said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-moves-against-school-textbook-commercialization-1447893297",
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