High school principals told to return levies<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The head of the city's Ministry of Education and
\nCulture, Kusnan Ismukanto, requested the principals of junior and
\nsenior state-owned high schools to return any levies imposed
\non students except entrance and uniform fees.<\/p>\n
All levies imposed on students must be approved by parents'
\nassociations, Kusnan said. But he did not say how the schools
\nwould return money to students' parents.<\/p>\n
He said the entrance fee for junior high school (SMP) is Rp
\n40,000 and Rp 45,000 for senior high school. The uniform fees at
\njunior and senior high schools for male students is Rp 55,200 and
\nRp 66,400 for female students.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want principals asking students' parents to pay more
\nthan the legitimate amount for entrance fees and uniforms. Return
\nthe money back to parents,\" he said repeatedly in front of
\nreporters and 15 senior high school principals.<\/p>\n
Kusnan said contributions should depend on parents' ability to
\npay.<\/p>\n
Many parents have complained about so called 'education
\ncontributions' imposed by schools.<\/p>\n
Some of them said they were asked to pay \"contributions\" up to
\nRp 8 million (US$3,404).<\/p>\n
\"I'm a public servant. How can I afford it,\" A father, whose
\ntwo daughters will enter SMUN 8 and SMUN 81 state-senior high
\nschools, was quoted as saying by Kompas daily on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Elida Agus, the principal of SMUN 8, denied that her school
\nrequired parents to pay contributions.<\/p>\n
\"I'm very upset by the report. We have not received any
\ncontributions. I will send a protest letter,\" she said yesterday.<\/p>\n
She said a woman from Jatinegara, East Jakarta, came to her
\nseeking the truth.<\/p>\n
She said the woman, a vegetable vendor, said she could not
\nafford to pay millions of rupiah for her son's education.<\/p>\n
Elida acknowledged that the school, categorized as a \"superior
\nschool\", planned to get Rp 185 million from new students to pay
\nfor a new building.<\/p>\n
She said parents of students at her school paid between Rp
\n100,000 and Rp 10 million last year.<\/p>\n
SMUN 70, a superior senior high school in South Jakarta,
\ncharges new male students Rp 150,000 for uniforms and female
\nstudents Rp 135,000. \"We ask the students' parents for
\ncontributions depending on their financial ability,\" a housewife,
\nwho wanted to enroll her daughter, quoted a teacher as saying
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
There are six superior state high schools in Jakarta: SMUN 8,
\nSMUN 68, SMUN 13, SMUN 78, SMUN 30 and SMUN 81.<\/p>\n
A mother told The Jakarta Post yesterday she spent Rp 334,500
\non her son's entry to SMUN 86 in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We were charged, among other things, Rp 105,000 for the
\nuniform, a Rp 55,000 contribution and a Rp 23,000 monthly school
\nfee,\" she said.<\/p>\n
An East Jakarta senior high school principal told the Post
\nyesterday that many schools have imposed \"illegal\" levies on new
\nstudents: \"The students have paid us... But I will return their
\nmoney.\" (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/high-school-principals-told-to-return-levies-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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