UI students object to extra school fees<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Students of the University of Indonesia (UI)
\ndemanded on Monday an end to extra school fees which have been
\ncharged to cover financial shortages resulting from the economic
\nrecession.<\/p>\n
Starting last year, besides basic school fees, new students of
\nthe School of Exact Sciences and Engineering had to pay Rp 1
\nmillion (US$117.65) additional expenses per semester, while their
\ncounterparts studying social sciences had to pay an extra Rp
\n750,000 (US$88.25).<\/p>\n
Altogether a student of the School of Exact Science paid a
\ntotal of Rp 2.15 million (US$252.94) per semester. Social science
\nstudents were charged Rp 1.95 million (US$229.4) each for the
\nsame period.<\/p>\n
The extra school fee, called the Quality of Education
\nImprovement Fund (DPKP), was introduced to help poor students
\nfinance their studies under a cross-subsidy scheme.<\/p>\n
\"The allocation of the fund is neither clear nor transparent.
\nThey said it was used for computers, overhead projectors and
\nother equipment. But isn't the budget for such equipment already
\navailable?\" head of the students executive board Taufik Riyadi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Taufik also called on his fellow students and the upcoming new
\nstudents not to pay the DPKP.<\/p>\n
The fund, Taufik said, is said to be allocated for the
\nlecturers but some of them admitted they did not receive it.<\/p>\n
\"Some 75 percent of the fund was given to each faculty, and
\nthe rest was kept by the rectorate. But when the senate checked
\nit out, some of the fund was still kept in the rectorate,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said another irregularity occurred when the school of
\nliterature used the fund for a visit to a tourist resort because
\nthey did not know what to do with the money.<\/p>\n
In his response to the students' demand, Assistant to Rector
\nUmar Mansur said the DPKP was aimed to help the cash-strapped
\nuniversity survive.<\/p>\n
\"Our budget was running out due to the monetary crisis in
\n1998. We were unable to buy new equipment or chemical substances
\nwhich were bought in U.S. dollars. So we decided to adopt DPKP,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Despite the protest, Umar said that the DPKP will remain
\nintact.<\/p>\n
The prerequisite of the imposition of the extra fee is that
\nnone of students who cannot afford to pay has to quit, according
\nto Umar. (09)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ui-students-object-to-extra-school-fees-1447893297",
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