SENATE The Education Ministry will not lower tuition fees for students at public higher learning institutions (IPTA), as the current rates were reasonable.

Its Deputy Minister Mary Yap Kian Ching also told the Dewan Negara that 85 to 90 percent of the fees for a bachelor’s degree at the IPTA was borne by the government to help ease the students’ burden.

“Under the present practice, the IPTA fees are based on social equity, to widen access for the community and not on the principle of cost recovery.

“The rates are determined by various factors including direct and indirect costs, equivalent full time student load, ratio of instructors and students, course or research work mode, competitiveness and so on,” she said in reply to Senator Dr Syed Husin Ali at the Dewan Negara in Kuala Lumpur today.

Syed Husin wanted to know whether the government had plans to lower the fees for higher education students to help them cope with the rising cost of living.

As for private higher learning institutions (IPTS), Yap said they were bound by the Private Education Act 1996 (Act 555).

“The IPTS management is not allowed to charge fees that exceeded the rate approved by the ministry. Every IPTS in the country is monitored and administered according to the Act, including fee rates,” she said.

To another question from Syed Husin on free education in the country, she said such a system would give rise to the domino effect whereby taxes would have to be increased to remedy the impact.

She cited Finland as the best example of a country that provided free education but where people were forced to bear high income taxes. If this were to be implemented in Malaysia, the people at large would feel the pinch,” she said.

- Bernama