Dismissed teachers open new school

Dismissed teachers open new school

JAKARTA: Dozens of teachers who were dismissed from Al-Azhar
school in Kemang, South Jakarta, have set up a new school with
the help of students' parents and donors.

The new school, located in Tanjung Barat, also in South
Jakarta, has set much lower tuition fees.

Al-Azhar school in Kemang is run by the Syifa Budi Foundation.

The chairman of the foundation's trade union, Sukman, said
Monday that the new school charges Rp 200,000 per month for each
student and Rp 2.5 million for the initial entrance fee. He added
that the entrance fee for Al-Azhar school in Kemang is Rp 13
million and school fees are set at Rp 2.5 million per month.

The foundation earlier this month dismissed 63 teachers and
two administrative staff after they staged a protest to demand a
salary increase.

Sukman said the foundation later called several teachers and
asked them to teach again in the school in Kemang. Nine
elementary school teachers and a junior high school teacher took
up the offer, he said.

A teacher earlier claimed her basic monthly salary was Rp
200,000 at the Kemang school. --Antara