Schools defy regulation, sell textbooks to students

Schools defy regulation, sell textbooks to students

The Jakarta Post, Jambi/Yogyakarta

Nurhayati looks worried and seems reluctant to go to school. The
11-year-old sixth grader has reason to worry. She does not have
the money to pay her teacher at SDN 51/IV elementary school in
Telanaipura district in Jambi city for textbooks.

Her three teachers distributed seven textbooks to each student
on July 21. Each student is expected to pay for them.

Ironically, the books were distributed on the same day as
education minister issued regulation No. 11/2005 prohibiting
teachers, education staff and school committees from selling
school textbooks to students

Nurhayati said the textbooks she was expected to buy were
printed by three different publishers, including Mediatama and
Arya Duta. Each book costs between Rp 17,000 and Rp 32,000.

In all, Nurhayati owes the school Rp 145,000 for the books, a
big amount for her family, which relies on her mother's income as
a small-time dressmaker.

"Every student has to buy the books distributed by the
teachers. If we don't, we can't follow the lessons," she told The
Jakarta Post.

She said pupils could pay for the books in monthly
installments based on the students' parents financial ability.

Responding to the problem, head of Jambi city's education
office, Havidz Aima, said his office had told schools about the
ministerial regulation. However, many schools had already sold
school textbooks to students, since they were unaware of the new
regulation, he added.

Moreover, many schools had made agreements with textbooks
publishers before the new school year started, making it
impossible for the education office to stop the practice.

However, Havidz insisted the regulation took effect on the day
of its issuance. "And every school has to oblige," he said.

He said that schools could buy books, but could not resell
them to students. The schools, he said, could keep the books in
their libraries for students to borrow.

He warned that sanctions, ranging from administrative
punishment to dismissal, would be imposed on teachers and school
managements proven to be selling school textbooks to students.

He told schools to deal with the shortage of school textbooks
by using their "students operational funds" instead of collecting
money from students. The books, he said, could be borrowed from
school library.

In Yogyakarta, students were also obliged to buy books from
their schools.

At MTsN senior high school in Sleman regency, students were
obligated to buy books printed by Erlangga publisher in Surabaya.
Without notice, students were given textbooks with a circular
explaining that they had to pay for the books.

"Out of the blue, I was given textbooks with a circular from
the principal explaining students' obligation to buy the books.
I'd never heard of it before that," said one student, Asti, while
showing the circular to the Post on Thursday.

The circular, dated July 23 and signed by her school
principal, obligates first-year students to pay Rp 50,000 for
textbooks, second-year students Rp 85,000 and third-year students
Rp 87,000. It advised that students were to pay in full by Oct.
29.

MTsN's deputy principal, Ali Nur Salim, said the students were
not obligated to buy books and could return them if they did not
want to buy them from the school.

"Even though the books have been distributed, the students can
return them if they don't want them," he said.

One parent, Sutarjo, whose son is a third-year student at SMPN
1 Mlati junior high school in Sleman, said his son had to pay the
school Rp 50,000 for books. "So I have to give my son money to
buy the books," he said.

The head of the Yogyakarta Education Office, Sugito, said the
problem had emerged because many schools had started selling
textbooks before the ministerial regulation was issued.