Indonesia Government Starts Schools at 5:30 AM in Pilot Project To Instill Discipline; Faces Backlash From Parents, Students
Students and civil servants in Indonesia have been asked to attend schools as early as 5;30 am, for which they have started at around 4 am.
What's happening in Indonesian East Nusa Tenggara Province capital, Kupang? Twelfth graders are being asked to attend school at 5:30 pm in 10 schools in the capital. Sleep-deprived students walk like zombies on dark streets at around 4 am to attend their schools at 5:30 am. The schools have been following the schedule since February 2023.
The Indonesian Government is running a pilot project in the capital to enhance its education system. But is it really working? According to a report shared by the AFP, Governor Viktor Laiskodat announced this scheme last month to make students more disciplined. The usual time of schools in Indonesia is 7 am or 8 am.
Marsel Robot, an education expert from Nusa Cendana University, thinks otherwise. He thinks the quality of education and discipline has no correlation to waking up early. This can, in fact, put their health at risk. Uttar Pradesh Government To Upgrade Primary and Upper Primary Schools With Rs 2,000 Crore.
Parents are complaining that the current schedule is making students exhausted. “It is extremely difficult. They now have to leave home while it’s still pitch dark. I can’t accept this... their safety is not guaranteed when it’s dark and quiet,” Rambu Ata, a mother to a 16-year-old, told AFP.
Moreover, students are drained now and cannot cope with this sudden shift in their schedule. “Now, every time she arrives home, she is exhausted and falls asleep immediately because she is so sleepy,” Ata added.
If previous studies have been examined, Indonesia was never an early riser. In 2014, a study was published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommended schools begin at 8:30 am or later. Maharashtra: Panic in Kalyan School After Snake Found Under Benches (Watch Video).
Students and civil servants have been asked to wake up as early as 5:30 pm. However, the reaction is different among civil servants. Rensy Sicilia Pelokilla, a civil servant at the agency, told AFP that this policy has actually made her healthy as now she starts her day early and is able to join exercise sessions in her office that she once slept through.
“As a civil servant, I am ready to comply with the regulation, and I’m going to do my best,” Ms Pelokilla said.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 15, 2023 08:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).