Sutiyoso exempts students from exam fees<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso has signed a circular
\nexempting students of elementary and junior high schools, both
\nprivate and state, from having to pay exam fees.<\/p>\n
The circular, dated April 16, was only made available to the
\nmedia on Friday. It stated that students of state-run Madrasah
\nIbtidaiyah Islamic elementary schools and Madrasah Tsnawiyah
\nIslamic junior high schools would also be able to take their
\nfinal exams without having to pay.<\/p>\n
Issuance of the regulation has ended months of uncertainty
\nafter the government revealed in February a plan to scrap the
\nexam fees.<\/p>\n
In the past, an elementary school student was obliged to pay
\nRp 32,000 (US$3) to sit the exams, while the exam fees for a
\njunior high school student cost between Rp 44,375 and Rp 52,000.<\/p>\n
The circular maintained that exam fees would still be imposed
\non senior high school students, which cost between Rp 68,300 and
\nRp 81,000.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said in the circular that the subsidy for the
\nelementary and junior high school students would come from the
\nState Budget and the City Budget. However, he did not elaborate
\non the proportion each administration would contribute.<\/p>\n
The governor had said the city would need an extra Rp 6.5
\nbillion in order to exempt the students from any fee in the
\nupcoming school examinations. The city administration had
\nallocated Rp 3 billion from its current budget to provide
\nsubsidies for the students.<\/p>\n
Deputy Governor for People's Welfare Djailani said the city
\nadministration expected the public to report any violation of the
\nnew regulation. He added that the circular had been distributed
\nto related schools.<\/p>\n
\"All schools in the capital must comply with the regulation.
\nWe will not hesitate to take action against schools which violate
\nit,\" Djailani said after Friday prayers.<\/p>\n
Djailani was commenting on reports that some elementary
\nschools charged their sixth grade students exam fees.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that a state elementary school in Mayestik,
\nKebayoran Lama district in South Jakarta, had required students
\nwho will sit in the final exams to pay Rp 400,000 each.<\/p>\n
Chairperson of the school's Student Parents Association,
\nPoppy, confirmed the fees. She said the levy would be used to buy
\nmeals for students and teachers during the exams, as no food
\ngrocers would be allowed to open during the examination days.
\nSome of the funds would also be disbursed to purchase stationery
\nand print copies of the exam materials.<\/p>\n
According to the City Education Agency, there are a total of
\n141,742 students in elementary schools due to sit the state final
\nexams, scheduled to be held from June 11 to June 13. They
\ncomprise 97,654 public school students and 44,088 private school
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
Jakarta has 2,423 public elementary schools and 2,248 private
\nelementary schools.<\/p>\n
The elementary schools also include the state-run Madrasah
\nIbtidaiyah Islamic elementary schools, while the private
\ninstitutions include private Islamic schools.<\/p>\n
The city currently has 283 state junior high schools and 761
\nprivate junior high schools, with 141,160 third-grade students
\nwho would join the state final exams. (jun)<\/p>",
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