Thanks to the alertness of residents to access information to the Education and Culture Office, the improper distribution of funds to students receiving Poor Students Assistance (BSM) at SMP 4 Lingsar, Sigerongan Village, West Lombok could be avoided.
Chronologically, Community Strengthening Facilitator of CATI-PATTIRO Program West Lombok Nurjanah explained the details of the incident as follows.
Initially, the community heard the news that the school of SMP 4 Lingsar in Sigerongan Village had distributed BSM funds to 133 students. In fact, based on the predetermined data, the number of recipients should only be 89 students. The rest were not eligible because they were well-off students. Hearing the news that violated the sense of justice, residents who are members of the community center (CC) immediately gathered to discuss this issue.
The discussion revealed that the BSM distribution was the result of an agreement by all student guardians in a meeting that had previously been conditioned by the school. In the meeting it was also agreed that BSM funds were also used to pay honorary teachers, farewell fees, report card covers, etc. As a result, each student who was supposed to receive Rp 600,000 was reduced to an average of only Rp 101,000.
Wanting to obtain clearer information about the mechanism of BSM fund distribution, Mr. Multajam and Mrs. Kustiyah from the Civil Society Network (JMS) submitted an information request to the Education and Culture Office (Dikbud) about the BSM Implementation Guidelines. The information request was submitted on January 15, 2014. The requested information was provided on the spot by the officer. Based on the information obtained, Mr. Multajam and Mrs. Kustiyah were then able to convince the parents that what the school was doing violated the applicable regulations.
On January 24, 2014 the CC conducted a hearing at the Dikbud which was attended by Musabah and Mulyadi (CC), Kustiyah and Multajam from JMS. At the end of the hearing the Dikbud instructed SMPN 4 Lingsar to return the BSM funds publicly by inviting student guardians.
On Monday, January 27, 2014 Musabah received an invitation from the school regarding the plan to return the BSM funds that had already been distributed. The event was scheduled for the next day, which was planned to be attended by student guardian representatives and CC members who would oversee the BSM refund process.
The next day, Mr. Multajam from JMS and Yanti from (CC) attended the meeting. But in reality, the school did not immediately return the BSM funds as invited, but instead the school and committee challenged to bring all the guardians back on Thursday, January 30 to reformulate the agreement as previously done by the school.
Disappointed by the school’s reneging on its promise, the CC representatives then complained to the Dikbud. The group was received by Hj. Eny, who is in charge of BSM and Pak H. Darmilan, who is in charge of the BOS program. Hj Eny immediately called Mr. H. Damiri (Principal of SMPN 4 Lingsar) and reiterated to return the BSM funds. The instruction also stated that the Education, Youth and Sports Office would directly oversee the distribution of the BSM funds.
On Wednesday, January 29, we held a meeting at CC Sigerongan to formulate a strategy. One of the students from SMPN 4 Lingsar came to tell us that on Wednesday morning the BSM funds had been distributed by the school, and there was a message from the school “please tell Mr. Musabah as a CC member and the West Embungpas Kadus that the BSM money has been returned”. The school felt that it was the CC who provoked the demand for the BSM refund.
On Thursday 30 January, the Education, Youth and Sports Office, represented by H. Darmilan, Mr. Musabah and I attended another meeting at SMPN 4 Lingsar. We talked about many things and the warnings given by the Dikpora included:
- There should be no more equal distribution of BSM funds, this happened because the school did not properly collect data and verify students who were really poor.
- There should be no further cuts to BSM funds for any reason.
- BOS funds must be explained to student guardians what they are used for.
- Schools should often invite student guardians to update them on developments at school.
- Affirming that the role of the CC is not as a provocateur but as a complaint center, advocacy center, and information center for citizens.
