Haven't Paid Dues Yet, Dozens Of Public School Students In NTT Are Sent Home Even Though They Want To Take An Exam

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KUPANG - Dozens of students at SMA Negeri 11 Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) were sent home when they were about to take the exam. The same thing also happened in SMA/SMK Negeri in several districts in NTT.

This incident was revealed when the students' parents complained to the Indonesian Ombudsman Representative for NTT. They were sent home because they had not paid the committee dues.

The Head of the RI Ombudsman Representative for NTT Darius Beda Daton asked the school not to do that. Because, it is not justified in the Government Regulation.

"We ask all schools not to send back students who take exams or withhold diplomas for those who have graduated on the grounds that they have not paid committee fees because Government Regulation No. 48 of 2008 concerning Education Funding has prohibited this," he said when contacted in Kupang, quoted by Antara, Friday. , March 18.

He explained that on the first day of exams at SMAN 11 Kupang City, 68 students were sent home because they had not paid the committee fees. The number was reduced on the second day 44 students and 38 students on the third day.

He said it was understandable that the school needed a budget from committee fees to pay the honorarium for the committee teachers at the school, which amounted to around 20 people.

"This is often the reason why committee fees are required every month from parents or guardians of students," he said.

However, he said, solving the problem by sending students home was not the right way because the collection of dues in order to fulfill the responsibilities of students, parents, and/or their guardians were required to fulfill provisions, including education fees that were not linked to academic requirements for student admission. related to the assessment of student learning outcomes, and/or student graduation from the education unit.

"So students' rights to obtain educational services should not be held hostage because they have not paid committee fees or other costs. Moreover, the issue of education costs is the responsibility of the parents, not the students' business," he said.

Beda Daton emphasized that sending students back during examinations or holding their diplomas when they graduate will greatly disturb the psychology of students, especially because education services are the right of students and the obligation of the state as mandated by the constitution.

He said his party had visited and discussed the matter with the school leadership. He suggested that the school should make an effort to visit students' homes or call parents to work together without compromising the students' right to obtain educational services.