Brilio.net - Quality education is certainly the hope of every parent. However, there are things that need to be considered carefully, especially regarding educational contribution fees. Along with the development of the education system, sometimes fees appear that are actually not in accordance with applicable regulations. Therefore, it is important for every parent to be more critical of the educational contributions offered by schools.
Educational contributions are important to support schools in providing the best service to students. However, there are limits that have been set by the government regarding the types of levies that may and may not be made. Education about rights and obligations in the education system is key to ensuring that the education process runs fairly and transparently.
Compiled by brilio.net , Monday (30/9), based on government regulations, several types of educational contribution levies are prohibited by schools. Here are four of them that need to be considered.
1. Educational Contributions for School Operational Costs
The education budget in Indonesia has actually been clearly regulated through the School Operational Assistance Fund (BOS). This fund is intended to cover school operational costs so as not to burden students and parents. However, there are schools that still collect educational contributions on the grounds of covering operational cost shortfalls. This practice is prohibited, especially in public schools that have received BOS funds.
Ministry of Education data shows that the 2023 BOS allocation reached more than IDR 54 trillion, which should be enough to cover school operational needs. Therefore, every levy used for operational costs needs to be examined.
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2. Educational Contributions for Procurement of Textbooks
Schools may not require parents to provide educational donations for the procurement of textbooks. Based on Law Number 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System, the procurement of books is the responsibility of the government. The government has budgeted sufficient funds for the procurement of books in schools through the BOS and DAK (Special Allocation Fund) programs.
However, some schools still charge fees under the pretext of a lack of textbooks or inadequate book quality. This is a violation that parents must be aware of. Educational contributions may not be used for things that are already regulated in the government budget.
3. Educational Contributions for Extracurricular Activity Costs
Extracurricular activities are indeed an important part of student development. However, educational contribution levies for these activities should not be mandatory. The government through BOS has allocated a budget to support extracurricular activities in schools. If there are levies that are required on the grounds of funding these activities, then it is a violation.
Based on data from the Ministry of Finance, the education budget in Indonesia in 2023 reached IDR 612 trillion, with some of the funds allocated to support school activities, including extracurricular activities. Therefore, additional levies from parents should not occur.
4. Educational Contributions for School Facilities Development
Adequate school facilities are important to support the teaching and learning process. However, educational donations used for facility development, such as the construction of new buildings or renovation of classrooms, should not be mandatory. According to the rules, school facilities are the responsibility of the government through the budget that has been provided in the APBN and APBD.
If a school asks for educational donations under the pretext of developing facilities, parents need to question the legality of the levy. Moreover, the BOS program also provides funds for improving school facilities and infrastructure.
Rules Prohibiting School Levies.
According to the Minister of Education and Culture Regulation No. 44 of 2012 and No. 75 of 2016, schools are prohibited from imposing educational levies.
1. Levies may not be levied on students or guardians who are economically disadvantaged.
2. Levies in matters of academic requirements such as student acceptance, assessment of learning outcomes or student graduation may not be made.
3. Schools may not charge fees that are used for the welfare of school committee members or stakeholders in education.
4. The school committee is prohibited from collecting individual or collective levies from students or guardians of students.