Final exams drawing near, funds not yet disbursed

Final exams drawing near, funds not yet disbursed

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Some school principals complained that they lacked funds to hold
final exams but were undecided on how to obtain money following a
decision by the Ministry of Education to ban schools from
imposing fees for final exams.

"Final exams draw near but it is not clear how they will be
financed as we have no money to hold them," Marsudi, principal of
a state elementary school in Palmerah, Central Jakarta, said on
Tuesday.

Final exams, he said, start from June 10 to June 12. "But
certain subjects, like religion and sport, will begin two weeks
earlier in May,"

Marsudi said schools had been prohibited from burdening
students with fees as the city administration had promised to
help cover the costs.

"However, until now it is not clear when and how funds from
the city will be disbursed," he said.

Exam funds are needed to pay for copying test papers, paying
teachers' honorariums and providing snacks and meals for teachers
supervising the exams.

Iing Ahmad Mumkin, head of the subdirectorate of Jakarta
elementary school education, revealed that his office had
proposed Rp 44,000 per student for the tests.

"Be patient as the administration is drafting a gubernatorial
decree to disburse the funds," he said.

Iing declined to reveal the exact amount proposed to the
administration, but hinted that the figure could be Rp 5.5
billion (around US$587,300) for about 125,000 students at 2,334
state elementary schools and more than 750 private elementary
schools.

The funds, he said, might be disbursed in two weeks.

Iing asserted that schools were prohibited from charging
students fees for the tests.

"If you find violations, just inform us. We will take stern
administration action against those who violate the regulation,"
he said.

However, Iing said that students could help fund the exams "if
there is a consensus by which both parties -- schools and
students' parents -- decide on the matter."

No parents have reported being charged fees for the exams.

"I have not been charged any fee by my son's school (for the
final examination)," said Yusuf, who works at a private firm in
Central Jakarta.

Yusuf's son is a sixth grader at SD 09 Harapan Jaya state
elementary school, Bekasi.

"We'll protest if the school management decides to charge a
fee (for the test) as we, the parents, have been well-informed
that the government has prohibited schools from burdening
students with fees," said Yusuf.

However, for state schools whose financing depends heavily on
city funds, the disbursement is crucial.

Another principal of an elementary school in Petamburan in
Central Jakarta revealed that her school might assemble parents
to discuss fees for the test.

"Time is running out. In the next two or three weeks, we'll
have no choice but to summon parents to discuss the problem if
there is no certainty on when the money can be extended," said
the principal.

Another parent, Ridwan, reported that a private school in
Pamulang that his son attends had distributed circulars notifying
that there would be no fee charged for the test.

"The school management has been careful in making fee-related
decisions, as we parents are very critical of such issues,"
Ridwan said.

Last year, Ridwan said, the school charged Rp 110,000 per
student for the final exams.