West Kalimantan Governor Bang Midji: Schools Don't Charge Donations, Can't Sell Uniforms

West Kalimantan Governor Sutarmidji. (ANTARA/Rendra Oxtora)

The Governor of West Kalimantan, Sutarmidji, emphasized that there should be no levies on any fees at school during the process of accepting new students or increasing classes.

"I have emphasized repeatedly, schools should not charge any students, especially for the high school and vocational schools in the West Kalimantan Provincial Government," he said in Pontianak City as reported by ANTARA, Friday, July 21.

"Not only collecting fees for donations, schools are not even allowed to sell uniforms, except special school batik," said the governor who is familiarly called Bang Midji.

The governor said the West Kalimantan Provincial Government had prepared 20,000 school uniforms to help students who were unable to buy uniforms.

Schools can apply for school uniforms for students from underprivileged families to local governments.

In addition, the Governor of West Kalimantan said schools that require the imposition of traditional clothing at certain times must free students to wear any traditional clothes, not requiring the use of certain traditional clothes.

Sutarmidji said schools should not ask parents for donations to support the provision of educational facilities and infrastructure.

"For students who add zoning quotas in each high school, 26 people each and for SMA 11 with an additional 72 students, the table and study seats have problems, because there are no problems. However, schools should not ask students for donations, because it is a matter for the West Kalimantan Regional Government, do not burden the parents of students," he said.

"The point is that there should be no unclear levies. We will first carry out the revenue process this year because it is regulated by the decision of the Minister of Education and Culture, but we also evaluate weaknesses to find solutions in the years to come," said Bang Midji.

He explained that students who enter high school (SMA), vocational high school (SMK), and state extraordinary schools (SLB) can get free educational facilities from the government.

For students who enter SMA, SMK, and SLBswasta, he continued, the government also provides scholarships for those from underprivileged families.

"That's why we will ask the private school manager for data to provide data on students who can't afford to get the scholarship," he said.