School costs a mounting burden

School costs a mounting burden

From Merdeka

The coming of a new academic year is always a headache for parents who struggle to keep up with the costs of enrolling their children in either government or private schools. Enrollment is only the beginning. Costs mount up when a child moves to a grade higher, enrolls in specific programs, participates in excursions, re-registers, or takes part in a farewell party.

Just imagine if you have more than one child in school. Your children's participation in all the school's programs would require hundreds of thousands of rupiah. How can low-income parents cope with such a financial burden?

I recall the past system in which parents were not especially burdened by school fees. The pupils received free textbooks, and in some schools the pupils were provided with free milk. Now parents are subjected to a multitude of financial burdens in educating their children.

A former Minister of Education and Culture once said that "education is expensive." Does this mean that it is not for the poor?

NASARUDIN BUDIMAN

Jakarta