Parents allege schools mired in corruption

Parents allege schools mired in corruption

Bambang Nurbianto and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two disputes between parents and school administrators over
alleged misuses of school fees and development funds came to the
fore on Wednesday following tough action by the city
administration.

Head of the city's Intermediate and Higher Education Agency,
Sukesti, told The Jakarta Post that his agency had frozen Rp 1.2
billion (US$141,176.47) in school development funds collected by
the state-run SMU 21 high school in East Jakarta due to the
unauthorized manner in which the funds were collected.

"I've already told the school principal and the members of the
interim school committee not to use the money until they get the
approval of the definitive school committee, which is expected to
be set up early in October," Sukesti said.

Separately, the chairman of the school committee at the state-
run SLTPN 250 junior high school in South Jakarta, Soebandrio,
revealed the alleged misappropriation of Rp 1.21 billion derived
from the school development fund and monthly fees.

"The school officials refused to show me all the receipts for
the expenditure of the money. Instead, the principal forced me to
sign the financial report that she had drawn up. The principal
had attempted to eject me from the school committee after I tried
to seek explanations on the use of the money," he told a media
conference at the offices of Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW).

Daswanto, one of the parents, most of whom come from the low-
to-middle income brackets, had complained that the school had
elicited many contributions from the parents but failed to do
anything to improve the school's facilities.

ICW activist Ade Irawan said that he would bring the case to
the attention of the City Council's education commission, as well
as the police for further investigation, because "only 15 percent
of the funds have been allocated for educational activities".

Sukesti and the relevant officials from the city
administration held a meeting with the commission to discuss the
complaints submitted by 10 parents whose children attend SMU 21.

The parents objected to the levying of development fund
contributions by the interim school committee. These
contributions amounted this year to Rp 5 million per student --
much more than last year's Rp 2 million.

Education commission chairman E Nazamuddin supported the
education agency's policy. He said that the levies imposed on
parents were in violation of Directive No. 65/2003 issued by the
Intermediate and Higher Education Agency, which stipulates that
the amount of the contributions this year should not exceed last
year's figure.

Nazamuddin told administration officials to provide protection
to parents and students who experienced difficulties after filing
their complaints.

City audit agency secretary Abdul Afandi said that his
officials had been investigating the complaints by questioning
the members of the school committees and principals regarding the
allegations that Directive No. 65/2003 had been violated.