West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi Calls for In-Depth Study on Reactivating Senior High School Tuition Fees

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has called for an in-depth study regarding the proposed reactivation of Sumbangan Pembinaan Pendidikan (SPP) tuition fees for state senior high school (SMA) and vocational school (SMK) students. Speaking at a National Seminar and Declaration of Indonesian Health Sovereignty 2045 in Bandung on Wednesday, he clarified that the proposal, which targets students from middle- and upper-income families, did not originate from his office. ‘It must be studied thoroughly. If the governor reactivates SPP, public opinion will shift, and I will be accused of not prioritising education,’ Dedi stated. Rather than immediately imposing fees, he urged schools to first maximise the management of existing School Operational Assistance (BOS) funds, citing SMAN 1 Depok as a positive example of effective budget management. While the provincial government will continue to support physical infrastructure needs, Dedi drew a firm line between capital investment and daily operational costs, insisting that BOS funds must cover school operations first. West Java Education Head Purwanto confirmed that no final decision has been made and that the policy will not be enacted suddenly for the current school year. The discourse on reintroducing SPP emerged as a potential solution to funding gaps in upper secondary education, but the governor’s latest directive shifts the focus towards an internal audit of BOS fund management across all state schools in the province.