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SURABAYA, bhayaksa.net — The Surabaya City Government is taking severe, no-nonsense repressive measures to protect the integrity of public education from corrupt practices. The Mayor of Surabaya, Eri Cahyadi, issued an emergency ultimatum threatening heavy disciplinary sanctions up to the immediate dismissal of State Elementary (SD) and Junior High (SMP) School Principals proven to extort or allow illegal levies (pungli) within school grounds. The Mayor delivered this stern directive firsthand at the Surabaya City Hall on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
This hardline stance is explicitly targeted at all school principals, teachers, School Committee board members, and any rogue officials within the Surabaya City Education Department. This internal law enforcement step was launched as a swift response by the Surabaya City Government following a surge of complaints from parents after the July Student Admissions (PPDB) cycle. The most frequent modus operandi uncovered in the field involves collecting mandatory fees under the guise of mutual agreements between parents and the School Committee during official meeting forums.
The “mutual agreement” excuse frequently used as a shield typically involves fixing uniform fee amounts rigidly, setting strict payment deadlines, and utilizing the deceptive phrase “school committee uniform and attribute fund deposits.” This operation is considered deeply unsettling because it deliberately blurs the line between voluntary donations and mandatory payments, thereby erasing the optional right of underprivileged parents to refuse.
From a legal and regulatory standpoint, Mayor Eri Cahyadi outlined a solid judicial basis to prosecute the perpetrators. Forcing mandatory fees violates Ministerial Regulation (Permendikbud) Number 75 of 2016 concerning School Committees, which explicitly dictates that Committees are only allowed to raise funds through voluntary aid or donations that are completely non-binding, not mandatory levies.
Furthermore, under criminal law, these actions satisfy the statutory elements of extortion (afpersing) as regulated in Article 12 letter e of Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Crimes (UU Tipikor) or Article 368 of the Criminal Code (KUHP). Meanwhile, regarding civil service discipline, the administrative sanctions prepared refer to Government Regulation (PP) Number 94 of 2021 concerning Civil Servant Discipline, which enforces severe penalties including demotion, lowering of rank, up to total relief of duty (dismissal of the Principal).
From an educational perspective, this clean-up policy is absolutely vital to restore the fundamental purpose of public schools as inclusive, fair, and commercialization-free institutions. Basic education organized by the government must remain entirely free of charge to guarantee the constitutional right of all children to receive an education without financial barriers.
In closing the report, Eri Cahyadi urged all citizens and parents in Surabaya not to be afraid to speak out. The Surabaya City Government has opened an integrated grievance hotline directly connected to the Surabaya City Inspectorate. Every report submitted will be guaranteed strict whistleblower anonymity, and a special task force will be immediately deployed to conduct formal field investigations to ensure the educational ecosystem in the City of Heroes remains clean, transparent, and accountable.
Reporter: Yoyok Sudibyo
Editor: bhayaksa.net Team
