UI students boycott classes over extra fee<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of students from the University of
\nIndonesia (UI) marked the first school day after a 10-week
\nholiday with a class boycott on Monday, following the
\nuniversity's refusal to meet their demands to call off a policy
\non an extra school fee.<\/p>\n
Some of the students from the Salemba campus in Central
\nJakarta joined their fellow friends at the Depok campus, south of
\nhere, which is also home to the rectorate office of what is one
\nof the country's most prestigious state-owned universities.<\/p>\n
The students, whose numbers reached around 10,000, could be
\nseen hanging around the classrooms during the boycott, dubbed by
\nmany as the first of its kind at the campus.<\/p>\n
Their lecturers were nowhere to be seen. But some students
\nsaid they were staying in their respective offices as they were
\nalready aware of the boycott.<\/p>\n
The protesting students also blockaded the main entrance gate
\nof the Depok campus, preventing cars from entering the area.<\/p>\n
Several students marched around the campus, holding banners
\nand yelling to express their dissatisfaction with the policy,
\nwhich requires students from 1999 onward to pay an extra school
\nfee on top of the Rp 510,000 (US$60) tuition fee for a semester.<\/p>\n
Some of their seniors, who are not actually required to pay
\nthe fee, also joined the boycott to show their solidarity.<\/p>\n
A group of some 20 police personnel were seen at several spots
\nnear the entrance gate, closely monitoring the peaceful protest.<\/p>\n
The extra fee, which was set up by the directorate and is
\ncalled the Education Quality Improvement Fund (DPKP), has been
\nset at Rp 1 million for students from the medical school, school
\nof engineering, and school of math and pure science; and Rp
\n750,000 for students of social sciences.<\/p>\n
\"We will continue boycotting the classes until the rectorate
\ncancels the DPKP,\" one of the students said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, about 700 third-semester students refused to register
\ntheir attendance of classes this semester as they had to pay the
\nextra fee.<\/p>\n
\"We demand details on the use of the fund, which the rectorate
\nnever provided us with. We also demand that the Ministry of
\nNational Education establish a team, in which we are included as
\nmembers, to do an audit on the use of the fund,\" secretary of the
\nUI students executive board Indra Falatehan told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Prior to Monday's boycott, the students met with the rectorate
\nat Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin's office on
\nFriday to settle the matter, but the meeting reached a dead end.<\/p>\n
At the meeting, the UI rectorate said the extra fee was needed
\nbecause UI was struggling to compensate for financial shortages
\nsince government funding did not cover the average Rp 10 million
\nyearly cost for each student.<\/p>\n
According to the rectorate, there are 14,000 to 15,000
\nstudents, who take S1 (bachelor) degrees at the university every
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Separately on Monday, director general for higher education
\nSatryo Soemantri said the government has allocated Rp 60 billion,
\nwhich represents some 80 percent of the entire fund for the
\nuniversity, for S1 degree programs at UI.<\/p>\n
\"The government provides 80 percent of the educational funds
\nfor S1 degrees in UI,\" Satryo told reporters at the ministry.<\/p>\n
Similar to S1 students at other state universities across the
\ncountry, the UI students also receive an annual subsidy worth Rp
\n4 million each.<\/p>\n
Last Tuesday, assistant to the UI rector for students affairs
\nUmar Mansur told the Post that to hold any kind of educational
\nprograms at the university, the rectorate needed money regardless
\nof the source, including from the students.<\/p>\n
Satryo said on Monday that according to a 1989 decree issued
\nby the Ministry of Finance on tuition fees at state-owned
\nuniversities, the rectorates of state universities are allowed to
\ncollect funds from students in addition to official tuition fees.<\/p>\n
\"The amount of the extra fee should not exceed the official
\ntuition fee,\" Satryo said.<\/p>\n
In certain cases, the amount of the extra fee could exceed the
\ntuition fee but only with the students' approval.<\/p>\n
However, Satryo said, the universities should report details
\nof the use of the fund to the ministry.<\/p>\n
\"UI has not reported the DPKP yet. They told (us) about the
\nplan (to collect DPKP from students) but not the details,\" Satryo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said that he already told the inspector general of the
\nministry to conduct an audit to determine whether the extra fee
\nshould be applied to the students or not. The audit will begin
\ntomorrow, he added.<\/p>\n
\"Students will be included as a source,\" Satryo said.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that both sides (students and rectorate) can settle
\nthis problem quickly. I believe none of the parties will
\nsacrifice the institution,\" Satryo said. (jaw)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ui-students-boycott-classes-over-extra-fee-1447893297",
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