'Schools must shop at store'
'Schools must shop at store'
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Following the recent polemic on the controversial Education Law,
the government is set to issue another contentious elementary
school textbook policy, which contradicts educational autonomy.
Director General for Elementary and Intermediate Education at
the Ministry of Education Indra Djati Sidi said on Friday that
the government would issue a new regulation that required all
elementary schools to purchase mathematics textbooks from
bookstores -- and not directly from publishers as in the past --
to be distributed free to all students.
He said that under the regulation, which will take effect on
Jan. 1, 2004, the education ministry would pre-select eight math
textbooks for purchase at bookstores; schools must choose a
textbook from among these eight, and those violating the
regulation would be given harsh sanctions.
Indra explained that the education ministry would cooperate
with the Association of Indonesian Bookstores (GATBI) to
distribute the textbooks to stores.
He said the new policy was made to stop the current practice
of schools purchasing textbooks directly from publishers, a
practice which had disadvantaged students, especially those from
low-income families.
All elementary schools, including state-run ones, have direct
deals with specific publishers to profit from sales commissions,
although the government, in cooperation with state publishing
company PT Balai Pustaka, provides textbooks for all schools in
the nation.
The new policy will likely meet with opposition from numerous
sides, including schools, since it will not resolve the issue.
Elementary schools will likely oppose the new regulation
because it runs contrary to Law No. 20/2003 on educational
autonomy, under which schools manage their curricula and
facilities, including textbook purchases.
According to Article 51 of the law, school heads, teachers and
their aides comprise the school management with the authority to
provide educational services.
Even with the new policy, however, there will be no guarantee
that schools will not strike new deals with bookstores as they
have done with publishers.
Although the textbooks are to be distributed free for all
students, schools subsidized by the government to supply the
textbooks will be tempted to collude with bookstores for sales
commissions, because the stores' profit will depend on book
sales.
The education ministry and the Ministry of Religious Affairs
have been slammed for the recent enactment of the controversial
Education Law, which requires all schools to provide religion
classes for all beliefs represented in their student bodies, even
for those schools following a specific religion.
The government has allocated Rp 150 billion (US$17.6 million)
for the textbook project, and elementary schools will receive Rp
7.2 million each for the math books.
Students will borrow the textbooks from schools during the
academic year, and the schools are expected to maintain the books
for at least five years.
Chairman of GATBI Firdaus Umar told The Jakarta Post schools
would be required to purchase the math books from bookstores to
halt schools and teachers from doing business with publishers.
Wukir Ragil, head of the Book Center at the ministry, which is
verifying textbooks, hailed the new regulation as it aimed to
provide standard math textbooks and ensure the quality of
elementary education.
The marketing officer of publishing company PT Remaja Rosda
Karya, Wardoyo, confirmed that his company was one of the eight
publishers appointed to publish the math book.
Several other publishers contacted by the Post declined to
give any information on the direct sales system.
Firdaus said the new regulation was expected to prevent
teachers and schools from making a profit from book sales
commissions through publishers.