'Why is education so expensive?'<\/p>\n
As registration for new students has started, many parents
\nwill be spending a lot of money on registration fees. Most of
\nthem question why the school fees, especially the state schools,
\nare so expensive. But they are willing to pay anyway, as they
\nwant their children to go to good schools.<\/p>\n
Jailani is a parking attendant at a hospital in Jakarta. He
\nlives in Serpong, Tangerang, Banten province. His son had just
\nfinished elementary school and his daughter junior high school.<\/p>\n
\"I really have a big headache. My two children have to
\nregister in junior high school and senior high school
\nrespectively. My son has just been accepted at a state junior
\nhigh school. But I don't understand why it is so expensive. I am
\nrequired to pay some Rp 1.5 million in total for building
\nmaintenance fee, school uniforms, books, and other things.<\/p>\n
Now I am seeking a school for his elder sister. I don't know
\nhow much I will have to pay for the registration fees and other
\nfees for her.<\/p>\n
Education is now very expensive. It is unaffordable,
\nparticularly, for low-income parents like me. The condition is
\nworse compared to the New Order era under former president
\nSoeharto. It seems that our leaders never think about the fate of
\nthe poor people.<\/p>\n
During election campaigns, they pledge many things, including
\nfree education. But all of them forget their promises after they
\nhave good positions. Therefore, I will never ever take part in
\nthe campaigns. The general election was only used by them for
\nseeking positions. All their promises are only bull s...t.\"<\/p>\n
Delicia, 41, is a mother of three daughters who resides in
\nGading Serpong housing complex in Tangerang. Her youngest
\ndaughter is about to enter junior high school. Her husband works
\nfor a cigarette company as a marketing supervisor.<\/p>\n
\"Talking about school tuition, I realize that private schools
\nare more expensive than state schools. This is the consequence of
\nenrolling my daughter at a private school here.<\/p>\n
But I prefer to send her to a private school as I believe that
\nthe school will provide better education. This is what they give
\nin return after requesting (a new students) to pay between Rp 5
\nmillion and Rp 6 million.<\/p>\n
However, I regret that many rich parents pretend to be poor
\nand ask for the privilege of paying less for the tuition. I hate
\nthem doing that.<\/p>\n
Due to such a situation, sometimes the school management
\napplies rigid rules. They ask all parents to pay high fees
\nregardless of their social status. Not all parents can afford the
\nset tuition fees. It is a pity to see how the same request is
\nimposed on the poor families.<\/p>\n
Ponijo has been working as a news agent for more than 10
\nyears. He and his wife, who works as a nurse in a hospital, have
\nfour children. His eldest daughter is going to start her first
\nyear at a state senior high school in Palmerah. He lives in Slipi
\nJaya, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I am happy to know that my daughter has been accepted at a
\nstate senior high school.<\/p>\n
The school entrance process is not easy now as I had to
\nmonitor several schools to check the fluctuating grades of the
\napplicants. I was worried, my heart was beating fast.<\/p>\n
So far, the school has not informed me about how much I have
\nto pay for the tuition. Looking at last year's fees, I should
\nprepare a little more than Rp 1.5 million.<\/p>\n
Of course it's really difficult for me. But, like it or not I
\nhave to be able to afford it. Otherwise my daughter's future will
\nbe even worse than her parents'.\"<\/p>\n
Rina Marlina, 43, is an employee of a private company on Jl.
\nH.R. Rasuna Said and a mother of three children. Her son has just
\nregistered at a state-owned junior high school in Kebayoran Baru,
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Applying for a new school is always a headache. On the one
\nhand, I want a good education for my children. On the other
\nhand, good education requires more money. Worse still, the
\ncompetition to get a place in a good school is always stiff.<\/p>\n
I have to pay at least Rp 3 million for the initial
\nregistration for my son, who has just finished his entrance test
\nfor a state-owned junior high school. Hopefully, he will get a
\ngood score so he does not have to apply for a private school.<\/p>\n
My family could still afford the fees of a relatively good
\nprivate school, however, it would be better if he secures a seat
\nin a state-owned school. I have other children, who are currently
\nin university and high school. And they also need money for
\neducation.\"<\/p>",
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