Govt plans to raise school exam fees

Govt plans to raise school exam fees

JAKARTA (JP): The city office of the Ministry of Education and
Culture plans to hike the fees for final exams and national final
exams for all schools.

"We have proposed the hike to the governor. But there has been
no answer to the proposal," Hadis Hadianegara, the office
spokesman told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

A reliable source at the office said the hike would be between
10 percent and 20 percent on average and was needed because of
the soaring price of paper and printing costs.

Exam fees also cover cross-correction costs and other
administrative expenses.

"We can't give the exact figures in each of the school
categories, but honestly, we don't intend to burden the students'
parents.

"If eventually the governor agrees with the plan, the hike
will be based entirely on the present impact of the monetary
crisis on education costs," Hadis added.

Based on office letter No.11/101/A.1/U/1997 dated March 12,
1997, standard fees for school final exams and national final
exams in private schools are: Rp 18,000 (US$2) per elementary
school student, Rp 40,000 for junior high school students and Rp
54,000 for students at standard senior high schools.

Students at SMEA (technical high schools for economic affairs)
and SMIP (technical high schools for tourism affairs) are charged
Rp 61,500 and those at SMKK (family welfare high schools) and SPM
(marine affairs high schools) have to pay Rp 64,000.

Exam tariffs for public schools, as stated in office letter
No.10/101.A1/U/1997 dated March 12, 1997, are: Rp 1,750 per
elementary school student, Rp 22,000 for junior high school
students, Rp 30,000 for high school students and Rp 32,600 for
those at other kinds of senior high schools.

The new charges are expected to be set in April, before the
examination month that is scheduled to begin in June.

When asked to comment on the proposal, city councilor Nitra
Arsyad of Commission E for social welfare told the Post that it
must be postponed.

"I object to this plan, mainly because people have suffered
too much in this crisis. Increasing educational fees is not wise,
as it will only add to the burden on the students.

"I'm afraid that if the ministry raises the exam fees, many of
the students will not be able to sit the exams because the
previous rate was already too expensive for many of them," Nitra
said.

The office should raise the fees in stages in the new school
year so parents could save some money to pay for the hike, he
said.

"But don't hike the fees abruptly. It is a shame that the
city's Ministry of Education and Culture office -- which should
be providing cheap education for students -- chooses to raise the
exam fees.

"This action (to increase fees almost every year) is snobbish
and cruel. They must think about the students... Too many levies
have been imposed in the education world. Give the parents a
break," Nitra added. (edt)