Jakarta (Kompas: 13/07/06) It was only a few weeks ago that Fatima (45) felt so relieved after she has settled the overdue tuition fee of her children to allow them to participate in their final exams. However, she is now facing another problem. The school holiday has not end, her children are now asking more money to pay for registration fee.

The woman who lives in Kampung Pulo, in Kampung Melayu area in East Jakarta does not understand why school fee never stop squeezing her family meager income. Fatima who sells beverage only earns around Rp 20,000 per day. Her husband, a parking attendant also earns the same.

Fatimah does not know what to do when her 16-years old daughter, Ulfa, a student at a State vocational school in East Jakarta insists that her parents should provide Rp 200,000 in cash on Saturday if she wants her to remain in school.

"Until now I don’t know if I can borrow some money or not. Her younger sister who will go to the 3rd grade of Junior High School also has to pay Rp 200.000 for registration fee. I feel like my head is going to explode. I cannot be angry to the children," said mother of 11 children painfully.

Fatima cannot do anything as her daughter keep on insisting. As a protest against her mother who is unable to pay for her tuition fee, Ulfa lay down on a bench in front of the house. Nonon (45) who lost his home in Jati sub-district in Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta in a forced eviction, also has the same experience. The Islamic school where her child is going requires him to pay Rp 140,000 for school uniform and T-shirt.

"How can I am not in stress. As a cloth washer I only earn Rp 200,000 per month. I spend all the money to pay for the house rent after the eviction. Maybe I should borrow to my employer," said Nonon who went to National human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) on Monday to report.

The school exonerated her from paying Rp 71,000 monthly tuition fee since February because she is a victim of a forced eviction. However, Nonon remains pessimistic that she could afford her child’s education until he finishes his study.

School Admission Fee
Meanwhile, parents whose children have graduated from schools are facing more problems. Besides finding appropriate schools for their children, they have to pay for admission fee that could reach millions of Rupiah. New students at the Islamic Junior High School (MTsN) 2 Pamulang in Tangerang have to pay Rp 1.65 million for admission fee. The fee for school uniform is not included.

The payment should have been settled last Monday; however, many parents ask the school to allow them to pay several times. The school allows them to settle the payment until August, but they have to speak to the school headmaster to get permission. Consequently, many students might fail to enroll.

The school said the money is needed to renovate parts of the school building which needs Rp 600 million. The School Operational Assistance disbursed by the government is not enough to cover the entire expenses, thus, the school needs more funds.

"I don’t’ know if I could settle the rest of the payment in August. Otherwise, my child should drop out and the school will return the sum of money that I have paid," said a mother living in Pamulang. In Jakarta, parents of new students are also confused because they have to prepare more money, as admission fee is expected to increase compared to last year. Admission fee to a State Senior High School in Jakarta reaches Rp3 to Rp 6 million.

Same parents estimated that admission fee might increase by around 20% this year. “They said school admission fee will increase to Rp 3 million this year," said a mother of a State Senior High School in East Jakarta.