In spite of poverty, students must buy texts

In spite of poverty, students must buy texts

Rizky KD Ntoma, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After a month-long holiday, students will return to school on
Monday. They will carry with them new books provided either by
their schools or bought at bookstores.

For years schools have sold books to their students so that
they don't have to spend time going to bookstores, looking for
the books recommended by their teachers.

Students sometimes get a discount from their schools or may
pay for the books in installments.

However, not everyone is pleased at this facility and some
even protest, as it is a financial burden on their parents.
"Buying books is just a waste of my parents' money. It's a pity
that my school doesn't provide books in the library for
borrowing, as at other schools," said Dero, a student of SMU 86
senior high school on Tuesday.

Dero revealed that he had to buy textbooks and exercise books
every semester from his school.

Another complaint came from Hetty, a student at Kartika high
school in Jakarta. "Having to buy books burdens my parents
because they already have to pay my tuition fees every month,"
she said.

She also complained that she could not borrow textbooks from
her seniors. "I'm unable to because there are always new
editions. For example, in mathematics, there are new math
problems to be solved and done as homework," said Hetty.

But not all students are opposed to the practice of schools
offering books to their students for purchase.

Some think that buying books at school makes it easier for
them in many ways, like Ibu Yenny from Bintaro, Tangerang, a
mother of two elementary students at Al Azhar school, Bintaro.

Yenny said by buying the books from the school, she didn't
need to go to a bookstore.

"The system saves me time and there's only a small difference
in the price," said Mrs.Yenny.

Besides, she said, her children's school also published books
that were cheaper than the books from other publishers.

Al Azhar school publishes textbooks on a range of subjects
such as Islam, Arabic, biology, English and the Koran for its
students.

"Al Azhar has been publishing books for the last 10 years.
This will help parents save money because the prices are lower
than those of other publishers," said principal of Al Azhar
elementary school Izi Madjid.

According to Madjid, Al Azhar had a consultative team of
teachers that determined what textbooks should be used in the
school.

Besides publishing books and selling them to students, some
schools lend textbooks.

Cindy, a student at SLTP 177 junior high school in South
Jakarta, said that her school did that.

"My school has provided some textbooks in the library and
lends them to students. I only need to buy student exercise
books," said Cindy.

However, she said her teachers sometimes recommended students
buy textbooks other than those available at the school.

"I have to buy some of the recommended books at bookstores.
There is no difference in the price between those from the school
or from bookstores," she said.