High school principals told to return levies

High school principals told to return levies

JAKARTA (JP): The head of the city's Ministry of Education and
Culture, Kusnan Ismukanto, requested the principals of junior and
senior state-owned high schools to return any levies imposed
on students except entrance and uniform fees.

All levies imposed on students must be approved by parents'
associations, Kusnan said. But he did not say how the schools
would return money to students' parents.

He said the entrance fee for junior high school (SMP) is Rp
40,000 and Rp 45,000 for senior high school. The uniform fees at
junior and senior high schools for male students is Rp 55,200 and
Rp 66,400 for female students.

"We don't want principals asking students' parents to pay more
than the legitimate amount for entrance fees and uniforms. Return
the money back to parents," he said repeatedly in front of
reporters and 15 senior high school principals.

Kusnan said contributions should depend on parents' ability to
pay.

Many parents have complained about so called 'education
contributions' imposed by schools.

Some of them said they were asked to pay "contributions" up to
Rp 8 million (US$3,404).

"I'm a public servant. How can I afford it," A father, whose
two daughters will enter SMUN 8 and SMUN 81 state-senior high
schools, was quoted as saying by Kompas daily on Wednesday.

Elida Agus, the principal of SMUN 8, denied that her school
required parents to pay contributions.

"I'm very upset by the report. We have not received any
contributions. I will send a protest letter," she said yesterday.

She said a woman from Jatinegara, East Jakarta, came to her
seeking the truth.

She said the woman, a vegetable vendor, said she could not
afford to pay millions of rupiah for her son's education.

Elida acknowledged that the school, categorized as a "superior
school", planned to get Rp 185 million from new students to pay
for a new building.

She said parents of students at her school paid between Rp
100,000 and Rp 10 million last year.

SMUN 70, a superior senior high school in South Jakarta,
charges new male students Rp 150,000 for uniforms and female
students Rp 135,000. "We ask the students' parents for
contributions depending on their financial ability," a housewife,
who wanted to enroll her daughter, quoted a teacher as saying
yesterday.

There are six superior state high schools in Jakarta: SMUN 8,
SMUN 68, SMUN 13, SMUN 78, SMUN 30 and SMUN 81.

A mother told The Jakarta Post yesterday she spent Rp 334,500
on her son's entry to SMUN 86 in South Jakarta.

"We were charged, among other things, Rp 105,000 for the
uniform, a Rp 55,000 contribution and a Rp 23,000 monthly school
fee," she said.

An East Jakarta senior high school principal told the Post
yesterday that many schools have imposed "illegal" levies on new
students: "The students have paid us... But I will return their
money." (jun)