Complaints Lead Jakarta Education Office to Ban Free Private Schools from Collecting Fees

The Jakarta Education Office (Disdik) has issued a firm warning to all free private schools to cease collecting any fees from parents or students. Head of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Education Office, Nahdiana, stated that the prohibition is clearly outlined in Governor’s Regulation (Pergub) No. 34 of 2025, Article 20. “The regulation stipulates that schools are prohibited from making collections,” she said when contacted by Kompas.com on Saturday (9/5/2026). This measure is in place because the Jakarta Provincial Government already provides education funding assistance for students in free private schools. The regulation also emphasises that all education funding assistance must be utilised by the schools for student needs, or to cover other components fully borne by the central government, or any other prohibitions stated in the Regional Grant Agreement Document (NPHD). Previously reported, DPRD DKI Jakarta member Justin Adrian Untayana revealed that his office had received many complaints from the public about free schools still imposing additional fees on students and parents. “We discussed this in the Commission E meeting with the Education Office. I conveyed many public complaints regarding these behind-the-scenes fees,” Justin said when contacted by Kompas.com on Friday (8/5/2026). As a result of the meeting, Disdik Jakarta will issue reprimands to the private schools in question and evaluate their partnerships with the Provincial Government. Kompas.com has attempted to inquire about which schools are making the collections and the amounts involved, but Nahdiana has yet to respond.