Officers trading school places to be punished

JAKARTA (JP): The head of the city's Ministry of Education and Culture, Kusnan Ismukanto, stressed yesterday that he would take stern action against any subordinates found "selling" empty seats at state-owned junior and senior high schools.

"I ask people to report to my office if they have found my subordinates selling the empty seats. These brokers will be fired immediately," he told The Jakarta Post.

He acknowledged that some "middlemen" probably have offered empty seats to students' parents, but acknowledged that his office has difficulties in identifying the "middlemen".

"Do not believe any middlemen. Just follow the rules. They're clear enough," he added.

Some students' parents flocked to the South Jakarta student selection counter at SMUN 70 senior high school on Jl. Bulungan, South Jakarta. They seemed helpless as they read an announcement saying that the seats were all full.

A father told The Post that he was then approached by a woman offering "services" to arrange a meeting between him and the school principal. The woman did not mention any sum of money for the "service".

However, the Central Jakarta student selection committee has not announced any empty seats. An official said that the committee is still waiting for latest data from schools.

"But we will show the empty seats when students' parents come to us," the official said. The Central Jakarta student selection counter is located at SMUN 68 on Jl. Salemba Raya.

He said Central Jakarta accommodates fewer new students at junior and senior high schools than other mayoralties, because most Jakartans now live in the suburbs.

Kusnan admitted that some schools have charged "contribution fees" since, based on experience, some parents are not willing to pay the fees when the schools have started up.

"The students' parents will not pay if they are not asked for the fees at the beginning of the school period," he said.

He said some schools asked students' parents "to deposit" sums of money and decided the size of contributions at a later meeting of teachers and the students parents association.

However, Kusnan has asked the principals of state-owned junior and senior high schools to return any levies imposed on students except entrance and uniform fees. But no one has reportedly returned the money to students' parents.

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

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

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