Parents whine over stiff tuition fees

Parents whine over stiff tuition fees

JAKARTA (JP): June is probably the most crucial time for
parents for being forced to put aside high budgets for tuition
and registration fees.

Names of new students will be announced simultaneously today
at all state schools in the city.

Parents here complained over stiff tuition fees especially
entrance fees into state-owned elementary and junior high
schools, reaching at least eight times higher than official
figures.

However payments were still much lower than private-run
schools, and two teachers at state-run schools said the fees were
reasonable.

Registration for the elementary and junior high education
levels lasted from June 21 to June 30.

A parent, Raima, who was enrolling her child at a junior high
school in Ciledug, South Jakarta, said she had paid Rp 10,000
(US$ 4.16) or eight times higher than the official figure of Rp
1,750.

Other payments included Rp 100,000 as donation for the school
building. In comparison, a private junior high school in
Cireundeu, a border area between South Jakarta and Bogor, charges
Rp 400,000 for registration and building donation.

Raima said, "The burden seemed heavier once I remembered I had
to pay re-registration fees for my other children."

The city office of the Ministry of Education and Culture on
May 20 issued a list of maximum registration fees for all state
schools here. Other payments like donations are not regulated.

The official maximum registration fees are Rp 1,750 for an
elementary school, Rp 3,500 for a junior high school and Rp 4,000
for a senior high school.

Elementary schools here were found to charge between Rp 5,000
to Rp 10,000 for registration and between Rp 100,000 and Rp
200,000 for building construction donation.

Raima said she had asked for a discount of the school building
donation of Rp 100,000 but school staff had said the amount was
reasonable.

Another parent, Yanti, who enrolled her child at an elementary
school in Pancoran, South Jakarta, said she wondered why
registration fees could be much higher than ruled.

She had paid Rp 5,000 in registration fees and had thought it
included the building donation.

Another mother who requested anonymity said the government
should regulate other payments at the time of registration, such
as donation for the building, should also be regulated.

"The fees should not be that high," she said.

A staff of the registration office of SMP 8 in Central
Jakarta said the school asked Rp 15,000 for registration and Rp
300,000 for building construction donation.

"This is not high; the payments are higher for second and
third-grade students," Nurhadi, the staff member said.

Another state junior high school, SMP 93 on Jl. Gunung Sahari,
Central Jakarta asked Rp 10,000 for registration and Rp 200,000
for building construction donation. (03)