Teaching parents worth

Teaching parents worth

Who should bear the costs of running schools in the country?
Under the nine-year compulsory education program, it should be
the state. At least parents who send their children to state
schools are entitled to free education -- free from enrollment,
tuition and other fees. Even books and uniforms should be
provided by the state. This was recognized by our politicians
when they amended the 1945 Constitution in 2003 by stipulating
that the government must allocate one-fifth of its total spending
each year for education.

Why is it that at this time of every year we hear parents
complaining about the exorbitant fees they must pay to enroll
their children in school, and that each year, their complaints
seem to grow louder?

There is a simple answer to this: our government is flat
broke. It is not meeting its constitutional obligation to
allocate 20 percent of its budget for education, and thus, nor is
it fulfilling its duty to provide universal and free education
for children between six and 15 years of age.

There is something to be said about the government allocating
almost a quarter of its spending this year to subsidize domestic
fuel prices, but that is another story.

Education of course has never been "free" here in Indonesia or
anywhere else in the world. There are costs to bear.

Running a school is in fact very expensive. Managing the
building, equipment and facilities, paying teachers' salaries and
providing books and uniform -- all require tons of money. The
notion of "free education" is really a misnomer. At the end of
the day, someone has to pay for them. The question is, who?

To expect the government to foot the bill, given the country's
current economic condition, is to wait for a miracle. The
government does not have the kind of money that would guarantee
every Indonesian child an education without having to pay a
single rupiah.

Blaming the government for the high fees will not bring about
a miracle either. Though grumbling does allow some parents to let
off steam, a solution is what is needed. If the government is
unable to come up with all the money to finance the compulsory
education program, then it is up to society to make up for the
shortfall.

State schools in Jakarta receive lump grants from the
government but rarely are they sufficient. And we know how paltry
civil servants' salaries are.

For just about every school in the country it is necessary,
through fund-raising, to make up for the shortfall and to
supplement teachers' salaries, providing them with a decent and
respectable living.

Thus, schools turn to their committees, made up of parents
representatives, to come up with the money. And it is these
committees that charge the fees -- not the schools -- that
parents find objectionable.

Part of the problem of the high enrollment and tuition fees is
the attitude of many parents, particularly those who have the
means to pay for their children's education but refuse to chip in
-- or would chip in, just enough for their own children, but not
for others.

A quick trip to some of the "favorite" state schools in
Jakarta will show that many parents pick up their children in
chauffeur-driven cars, and many children carry cell phones. And
still they have the audacity to complain about the school fees,
which surely they can afford given their lifestyle.

Granted, some parents are genuinely poor and need assistance.

There are many ways in which society can help.

There are philanthropic organizations that raise money from
the public and channel it to needy parents. The terrific public
response to the Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh showed there are generous
individuals and corporations with money to spare. They are just
waiting for a fund-raising campaign that speaks to them.

A law that promotes the activities of corporate philanthropy
would certainly help -- but these are medium or long-term
solutions.

Parents have an obligation to help pay for the upkeep of their
children's school. A change in attitude on their behalf would go
a long way toward easing the anxiety of schools and poor parents.

The problem of financing education is too significant
to be left to the government alone. It is our responsibility too.