Schools warned not to collect extra fees

TANGERANG: Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim ordered all state school principals and school boards not to collect extra fees from new students, except those usually collected at the start of the academic year.

City Secretary Harry Mulya Zain quoted the mayor as saying on Wednesday that schools that charged new students extra fees would be punished. Schools usually charge an admission fee, uniform fee, text book fee and extra curricular activities fee, besides monthly tuition fees.

Harry said some parents had complained that they were being asked to pay extra fees, without a clear explanation of where the money would go.

"The administration believes that extra fees would overburden parents," he said. -- JP