What some parents say about expensive schools

What some parents say about expensive schools

JAKARTA (JP): Below is what some parents have to say about
expensive schools and why they send their children there.

Leslie and James Sinay. We found a suitable secondary school
for our only son Andaria, who is now in his final year at SDK
Pantara, an elementary school for children with special needs
located in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

Andaria has passed an entrance test at Tirta Martha secondary
school in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta.

Leslie and her husband James, an executive director of a media
company, consider the school's Rp 7 million entrance fee and Rp
290,000 monthly tuition fees acceptable, especially in times when
everything is expensive.

To enroll our son in a public school, for us, is almost
impossible, not only because of its quality but also because of
our son's condition. Andaria needs a small class to enable him to
easily adapt to a new environment.

Chandra Iskandar, a businessman and father of two. I let my
children choose their own schools, as long as they are of good
quality.

My eldest daughter, who is 16 years, is now studying in
Singapore. This was her choice after seeing that Jakarta had
become less friendly with rising crime rates and political
tension. I just took her to Singapore and she made a comparison
between what she would get if she continued studying in Jakarta
and if she moved to Singapore. It was totally her decision.

My second daughter is studying in Cimanggis, East Jakarta,
which is near our home. For me, the main factor of consideration
for a younger child is the school's location. The short distance
between the school and home is important as the child can be
easily monitored.

So far I have not found the school fees too high. I think
there are no private schools that only seek money. As most
schools are operated by foundations, they need money to improve
facilities and quality. So it's normal for them to be expensive.

Ahmad Hermiadi, a central bank official. I asked my youngest
daughter to continue her schooling at SLTP Tritunggal, a junior
high school in Ciputat, South Jakarta. But she insisted on going
to SLTP Pembangunan Jaya in Bintaro.

She was bored with her present school's atmosphere, saying she
had already spent six years at the school. She really wanted some
change.

It turns out that sending Rahma to Pembangunan Jaya cost them
Rp 7.7 million in entrance fees and Rp 290,000 in monthly tuition
fees.

As parents, we don't have a choice but to accept what the
school has decided. Otherwise, our children will not be accepted
by the school.

Nancy Haris, a working mother of two says her daughter studies
at an elementary school near the family home.

I think a school which is near the home is important for a
six-year-old. I don't have any favorite elementary school for my
daughter. I chose the current school because of religious reason;
I want my daughter to be educated based on our faith. I also want
the school to have good discipline.

I would say that most private schools in Jakarta now are of
almost comparable quality...To some extent, I think schools have
set their entrance and monthly tuition fees too high. I paid some
Rp 3 million in entrance fees, while the monthly tuition is Rp
130,000. I think this is quite expensive for a newly opened
school."

Catharina Widyasrini, a working mother of two. She was mainly
concerned with the religious education that she wanted her
children to acquire.

I come from a Catholic family, so I want my children to study
in a Catholic school. They study at a high school in Kebayoran
Baru. I have no qualms about tuition fees which come up to almost
Rp 400,000 a month because I believe the school has a good
standard of education and discipline.

I am worried about the teachers' incomes. I hope the teachers'
remuneration match the tuition fees. Hopefully a large portion of
the funds do not go to the school foundation... I also agree with
the cross subsidy concept applied by some private schools where
wealthier parents are required to pay a higher entrance fees to
make up for the shortfall from poorer ones.

Lela Keumalawati, an employee of PT BAE Systems Indonesia. Her
two children attend SD Al Azhar, an Islamic elementary school in
Rawamangun, East Jakarta. I paid around Rp 5 million in entrance
fees and continue to pay Rp 130,000 in monthly tuition fees.

In my opinion, the fees are quite high, but good education is
costly. The school's learning and playing environment makes
students smarter, more independent and critical.

In religion, they are more knowledgeable too. Most of them
know how to recite the Koran properly. Most importantly, they
understand the essence of the religion and practice the teachings
in their daily lives.

Many middle and high-income earning parents in Jakarta,
however, send their children to public schools.

Tika Sartika, a librarian at a private company. She said she
was happy about enrolling her eldest son, Dika, at SLTP 49, a
public school in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.

The school is a popular public school in East Jakarta.

I only have to pay Rp 250,000 for books and uniforms. Public
schools don't require any entrance fees. And this has not
prevented the school from holding many good after school
activities like martial arts, computer classes, and English and
other language lessons.

Radjamin Nasution, an executive of a state-owned company. I
believe public schools are good because I attended one myself and
would like my children to go through the same experience. Both my
children now attend SMU 3, which is one of the leading public
secondary schools in Jakarta.

Another reason why I prefer public schools is that they will
make it easier for my children to study in a state university.

I believe the government subsidizes public schools very well.
The monthly tuition fees, for example, is only Rp 75,000, which
includes contributions for extra curricular activities. In terms
of quality and curriculum, good public schools are comparable to
private schools that claim to offer the "best programs".