Rectors' Forum backs special university entry
Rectors' Forum backs special university entry
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Rectors' Forum supported on Friday the implementation of
special admission at state universities, but at the same time
called on the government to draft a law providing subsidies for
intelligent students with less fortunate backgrounds to enter
state universities.
"It (the special admission) is fine, but we must consider
drafting a law ensuring that subsidies reach poor people wanting
to study at state universities," Trisakti University rector Thoby
Mutis said.
The Rectors' Forum involves both state-owned and private
universities across the country.
Thoby said using the fees collected from rich students was
necessary to subsidize poorer students.
Thoby also called on businesspeople to follow measures taken
by their counterparts in advanced countries to allocate 15
percent of profits for social activities, including education.
Chairman of the Rectors' Forum, Zulkifli Husin, who is the
rector of Bengkulu University, concurred with Thoby, but noted
that state-owned universities must also ensure that their
facilities and education standards were improving.
Several state universities, including the University of
Indonesia (UI), the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), the
Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) and the University of Gadjah
Mada (UGM), have implemented a special admission for new students
with fees more expensive than those required for normal students.
UI has allocated a maximum quota of 20 percent of 3,000 new
student seats for the special admission program. Students who
pass the special admission test will be required to pay fees of
between Rp 25 million and Rp 75 million.
ITB has allotted 200 seats for students from the special
admission scheme with tuition fees of Rp 45 million, while IPB
earmarked a 10 percent quota out of 3,000 new student seats for
special admission students.
The special admission program has sparked protests from most
students and people in the country, who are worried the move is
the beginning of the commercialization of education.
Many fear that poor people will not be able to enter state
universities because of the expensive tuition fees.
The government has responded to the controversy by allowing
state universities to decide whether or not they will continue
with the program.
Zulkifli said the special admission program should be tested
for up to two years.
"But if the government raises the education budget from about
Rp 13 trillion or 4 percent of the total state budget at present
to about 10 percent, we can guarantee that such a special
admission is no longer necessary."
Sri Sumantri, rector of Jayabaya University, said the special
admission program could help state universities finance its human
resources to carry out research, study abroad, improve their
education system, therefore improving the quality of the state
universities and their graduates.