Private universities are planning to take the 2008 education entity law before the Constitutional Court for a judicial review, after blasting the law as discriminatory.

Sukowiyono, chairman of the Indonesian Private Universities' Association's (APTSI) East Java office, slammed the law as "discriminatory government policy" in the education sector, saying the government should not pay attention only to state universities while so many private universities were not running well or professionally due to financial problems.

"The law does not specify what assistance the government will provide for private universities, as it stipulates that the government covers 30 percent of state universities' operational costs," he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"The government and the House of Representatives should not turn a blind eye to hundreds of poorly managed universities and other higher learning institutions in remote regions across the country."

The contentious law has sparked strong opposition from university students nationwide who say it allows no room for students from poor families to study at state universities.

Sukowiyono also said state universities were allowed to finance as much as 30 percent of their operation costs from students' fees.

"Funding for private universities depends totally on students and their families," he said.

"But the government should bear in mind the economic condition of the majority of people who cannot afford the expensive education, and the fact that 70 percent of Indonesian students graduate from private universities."

He pointed out East Java's 351 private universities and academies that took in 300,000 students this academic year, saying the absence of standard academic facilities had affected their competition in attracting new students.

"During the current economic downturn, only highly capitalized universities such as Petra, Lippo and Ciputra will survive, while a majority of others that are not supported by strong financing will likely close down," he said, adding the six-year grace period the law granted to private universities to make adjustments was really a deathblow for most poorly financed private universities.

The law allows state universities four years to make adjustments.

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