JP\/5\/BYLAW<\/p>\n
Surabaya to standardize school fees<\/p>\n
Indra Harsaputra
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Surabaya<\/p>\n
With a tired face, Sayuti, 37, takes the thousands of rupiah in
\nnotes from a pawnshop employee after cashing in a small bracelet.<\/p>\n
\"I will use this money to pay for my children's school fees,\"
\nthe mother of two children says, smoothing the rumples on her
\nshirt.<\/p>\n
Sayuti is a regular customer of East Java Pawnshop Office, who
\noften swaps valuables for cash as the new school term begins
\nevery July. Last year, she pawned a cassette player worth Rp
\n200,000 (US$21.3) that was later sold when she never came to buy
\nit back.<\/p>\n
In order to pay the school fees, Sayuti earns Rp 300,000 a
\nmonth as a maid at an upscale housing complex in Surabaya. Her
\nhusband, a seasonal construction worker, has no fixed income. She
\nsays their combined wages barely meet the cost of the rent and
\nother living costs, let alone her children's education.<\/p>\n
Sayuti worries that her children's days at school are
\nnumbered. The bracelet she pawned was her last valuable left. Her
\ntelevision set has already gone and while her husband is now
\nemployed for a few weeks, she cannot rely on his income to keep
\npaying the tuition fees, she says.<\/p>\n
\"I don't have the idea where else I can get the money. It's
\nbetter to lose the valuables as long as my children can continue
\nat elementary school.\"<\/p>\n
Sending out the children to find employment is another option,
\nbut Sayuti won't let this happen because they are too young.
\nHowever, unless the situation changes for the family, elementary
\nschooling is likely to be the best education the children get.<\/p>\n
Sayuti is one of thousands of poor mothers struggling to keep
\nher children at school in a city where elementary tuition fees
\nrange between Rp 15,000 and Rp 25,000 per student a month. Costs
\nincrease to between Rp 65,000 and Rp 125,000 a month for junior
\nhigh schools, with monthly senior high education costing between
\nRp 125,000 and Rp 500,000.<\/p>\n
Responding to public criticism about the high cost of school
\nfees, city education office head Sahudi said the office was
\nplanning to propose a bylaw that standardized education fees from
\nelementary to senior high.<\/p>\n
If it was approved by the Surabaya municipal council, the
\nbylaw would take effect next year.<\/p>\n
\"The bylaw will be binding on both private and state schools
\nin the city,\" Sahudi said.<\/p>\n
Along with providing clear information about school fees for
\nparents, the scheme is expected to create a standard for a
\nmaximum fee.<\/p>\n
\"The bylaw is similar to minimum wage rates imposed by the
\ngovernment. The schools must comply with the bylaw or they will
\nbe punished,\" Sahudi said.<\/p>\n
Under the planned bylaw, if the school management objected to
\nthe fee rate and wanted to charge parents more, they would have
\nto seek approval from school committees on which parents also had
\nrepresentation. If the committees approved the proposal, then
\nthey would have to report their decision to the chief of the
\nSurabaya education office for final approval.<\/p>\n
Those students unable to afford any school fees, would be
\nencouraged to file proposals to the office for scholarships or
\nsubsidies, Sahudi said.<\/p>\n
He said 103,565 out of total of 240,000 elementary school
\nstudents in the city currently received subsidized or free
\neducation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp5bylaw-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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