Private Schools Are Still Allowed to Charge Fees Under Certain Conditions | OBROLANBISNIS.com — The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen), Abdul Mu’ti responded to the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling on requiring the state to provide free nine-year basic education from elementary school to junior high school, including certain private schools. This ruling does not require all schools to be free.
Abdul Mu’ti explained that private schools are still allowed to charge fees under certain conditions. “What we actually understand is that it does not make all state and private education free. This means that private schools are still allowed to charge fees under certain conditions,” said Mu’ti at the Pancasila Building, Jakarta, recently.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the DPR to discuss the ruling. Then wait for direction from President Prabowo Subianto.
Mu’ti cannot speculate whether the ruling can be implemented or not. The Constitutional Court ruling must be discussed across ministries.
“That means there has to be a mid-year budget change, right? There has to be a discussion with the Minister of Finance, including the DPR. For the time being, we are focusing first on the actual substance of the Constitutional Court’s decision,” he said.
Even so, Mu’ti emphasized that the Constitutional Court’s decision is a final and binding decision. His party will create schemes to implement the decision.
“The Constitutional Court’s decision is final and binding, the decision is plenary and binding, therefore of course in its implementation we are all bound by the Constitutional Court’s decision. But how to implement it must be coordinated with the relevant ministries, especially the Ministry of Finance and what is more important is the President and the DPR’s approval regarding the budget,” he added. ***
