Schools told not to collect state exam fees

Schools told not to collect state exam fees

JAKARTA (JP): The City Education Agency has warned elementary
and junior high schools across the capital against asking
students to pay state exam fees, an official said on Monday.

Head of the agency Masrul Nim said the policy was made in
compliance with the government's decision to cover all expenses
related to the administration of this year's state tests for
elementary and junior high school students, including those who
go to private schools, across the country.

"We prohibit all school managements from charging their
students any fees in connection with the state exams. Any school
which violates the regulation will be sanctioned," said Masrul on
the sidelines of a City Council plenary session on the Seribu
Islands.

However, Masrul expressed concern that the government subsidy
would not be enough to cover all expenses of the program. The
government has estimated the tests will cost Rp 20,000 (US$2.10)
for each student.

"We will calculate the budget needed for the program with non-
governmental organizations to guarantee a transparent financial
forecast," said Masrul.

He added that any shortage of funds would be covered by the
2001 city budget.

According to official data, a total of 141,511 elementary
school students will sit for the state exams, scheduled to be
held on June 11 through June 13, while the exams for junior high
school students, scheduled for May, will be taken by 141,160
people.

The fee last year was set at Rp 18,200 (US$1.90) for
elementary school students, according to Masrul.

Contacted separately, the principal of Al Azhar elementary
school in South Jakarta, Agusri Siddiq, said he had yet to
receive any instruction on the free state exams from the
government.

"So far, we have never asked students for any special fee for
state exams because all expenses are funded by our school
budget," Agusri told The Jakarta Post.

He said the school budget allocated for state exams amounted
to Rp 20 million last year, which was spent on, among other
things, to print copies of test questionnaires and allowances for
teachers administering the exams.

Currently, each student pays a monthly school fee of Rp
135,000.

There are 207 students at the school who will take the state
exams this year, he added.

For years, a joint agreement among all elementary schools in
the South Jakarta has required each student to pay Rp 7,000 for
the state exams, the total of which as forwarded to the Jakarta
office of the Ministry of National Education, Agusri said. (07)