{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1460172,
        "msgid": "schools-told-to-return-exam-fees-1447893297",
        "date": "2004-06-21 00:00:00",
        "title": "Schools told to return exam fees",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Schools told to return exam fees Multa Fidrus, Tangerang Tangerang Regency Education Council (DPKT) told two vocational schools in Balaraja and Cikupa districts to return fees that students had paid the schools to sit the National Final Exams, saying the exams had been financed by the regental administration.",
        "content": "<p>Schools told to return exam fees<\/p>\n<p>Multa Fidrus, Tangerang<\/p>\n<p>Tangerang Regency Education Council (DPKT) told two vocational<br>\nschools in Balaraja and Cikupa districts to return fees that<br>\nstudents had paid the schools to sit the National Final Exams,<br>\nsaying the exams had been financed by the regental<br>\nadministration.<\/p>\n<p>\"To make sure there is transparency in the use of the<br>\nstudents' money, school boards must recalculate their spending,<br>\nand it must be witnessed by students and their parents,\" said<br>\nDPKT secretary Encep Suhayat over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Students from both schools filed complaints with the Tangerang<br>\nregency council last week, demanding the return of their money.<br>\nThe students had paid Rp 440,000 (US$46.8) each to sit the exams,<br>\nbut, in May, Regent Ismet Iskandar had issued a decree declaring<br>\nthat the exams would be free.<\/p>\n<p>Encep blamed the school boards for not outlining in detail the<br>\nprocess of holding the exams.<\/p>\n<p>Chairman of council commission E overseeing education, Ozi<br>\nSaeroji, said the school boards allegedly had no intention of<br>\nreturning the students' money. He added that the students had<br>\nbeen threatened that they would fail their exams if they filed a<br>\ncomplaint with the council.<\/p>\n<p>Regental education agency head Mas Iman Kusnandar admitted<br>\nthat the administration had subsidized the final exams, but the<br>\namount had not been enough to cover costs, he said, so the school<br>\nhad asked the students to pay a fee.<\/p>\n<p>Balaraja school principal Pardi Saputra, said the school had<br>\ncollected final exam fees from students since 1985 because<br>\nvocational schools held their own tests, apart from the national<br>\nexams designed by the Ministry of National Education.<\/p>\n<p>\"We always discuss it (the issue) with the parents before<br>\ncollecting the fees. The final exam fees were collected in<br>\nFebruary, but the decree was issued in May,\" he argued.<\/p>\n<p>\"We appreciate the regent's attention to the education sector,<br>\nbut the administration does not subsidize vocational schools' own<br>\ntests. We will check with the education agency first next year so<br>\nthat we can prepare our budget accordingly,\" Pardi said.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/schools-told-to-return-exam-fees-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}