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)