Rp 6.5b exam fund to be taken from City Budget<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City Council endorsed on Thursday a proposal by
\nthe City Administration to cover the expenses of this year's
\nnational final examination (Ebtanas) for elementary and junior
\nhigh schools in the city which amounts to Rp 6.5 billion
\n(US$650,000).<\/p>\n
\"The Council has agreed to the city administration's proposal
\nto finance this year's Ebtanas,\" head of the Council's Commission
\nE for social welfare affairs, Edy Suchro, said in a hearing with
\ncity's education officials.<\/p>\n
He said the fund would be taken from the auxiliary budget of
\nthe 2001 City Budget.<\/p>\n
Edy, a councillor of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction,
\nsaid the Rp 6.5 billion fund excluded the Rp 3 billion which has
\nbeen allocated from the City Budget this year.<\/p>\n
He said the Council would monitor the use of the fund and
\ninspect the schools to avoid \"double counting\" or misuse of the
\nfund.<\/p>\n
The administration has financed the expenses of the final
\nexams for state elementary schools since last year. This year,
\nthe city has initially allocated Rp 3 billion for the elementary
\nschool exams.<\/p>\n
Edy earlier said that Rp 3 billion of the 6.5 billion fund
\nwould be used to cover the examination expenses for 141,200
\nsixth-grade students of state and private elementary schools,
\nincluding Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Islamic elementary schools.<\/p>\n
The remaining Rp 3.5 billion will be used to finance the
\nexpenses of the final examination of 141,160 third-grade students
\nof private and state junior high schools, including Madrasah
\nTsanawiyah Islamic junior high schools.<\/p>\n
The city currently has 2,423 state elementary schools, 2,248
\nprivate elementary schools, 283 state junior high schools and 761
\nprivate junior high schools.<\/p>\n
During the Thursday's hearing, the education officials,
\nincluding head of the Jakarta office of the National Education
\nMinistry Alwi Nurdin and head the City Education Agency Masrul
\nNim, however admitted that they had yet received an official
\nannouncement that the students would be freed from paying the
\nexamination fees.<\/p>\n
\"It's a verbal instruction from the central government to
\nrescind the exam fees, but, until now, we have yet to receive any
\nofficial decision,\" Masrul said.<\/p>\n
He also admitted that the announcement that the students would
\nbe exempted from the examination fees has caused misunderstanding
\nas some parents have complained to his office and demanded their
\nchildren's schools also return the fees of farewell activities
\nthey had paid.<\/p>\n
\"Schools are not allowed to collect the examination fees. But,
\nit's up to the schools to decide on the money which has been kept
\nfor months for the students' farewell activities,\" Masrul said.<\/p>\n
He said the principals of the state schools would be
\nreprimanded if they still oblige the students to pay the
\nexamination fees.<\/p>\n
He said that he would cooperate with an association of private
\nschools also to reprimand private schools which require their
\nstudents to pay the fees. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rp-65b-exam-fund-to-be-taken-from-city-budget-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}