Coordination sought to end school brawls<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
\nSecurity Soesilo Soedarman yesterday convened a special meeting
\nto discuss ways to end brawling at schools, which has become a
\nmajor headache for City administrators.<\/p>\n
\"This has become a complex problem that requires everybody's
\ninvolvement to solve,\" Soesilo told reporters after the meeting
\nat his office, Antara said.<\/p>\n
Describing the students as the \"generation of the nation's
\nnext leaders\", Soesilo said \"We should not let them become
\ndestructive. That kind of attitude is not good in students.\"<\/p>\n
Dealing with the problem must also involve the public,
\nparticularly parents and the students themselves, he added.<\/p>\n
The meeting only discussed the brawls in Jakarta because this
\nis where fighting is most frequent, he said.<\/p>\n
One city official said school brawls occur every other day in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Many brawls end in death. The Jakarta Police counted 13 deaths
\nin 1995 and 10 in 1994.<\/p>\n
Attending the meeting yesterday were Minister of Education and
\nCulture Wardiman Djojonegoro, Minister of Information Harmoko,
\nMinister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman, Minister of
\nReligious Affairs Tarmizi Taher, the chief of the State
\nIntelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Moetojib, Jakarta Governor Surjadi
\nSoedirdja, chief of the Jakarta Military Command Maj. Gen.
\nSutiyoso, and Deputy for Operation of the National Police Maj.
\nGen. H.B. Hutagalung.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said various factors account for the increasing
\nfrequency of school brawls, from rapid urbanization and the
\nvarious social problems it has created, to security and
\nenvironmental problems.<\/p>\n
\"This is what makes the problem of brawling so complex,\" he
\nsaid. \"Violence in films, and the increasing use of banned drugs
\nalso have a strong effect on the students,\" he opined.<\/p>\n
Police statistics show that the problem gets worse every year.
\nIn 1995 there were 149 cases of student delinquency, including
\nmostly brawls, up from 121 three year earlier.<\/p>\n
The number of students involved rose from 987 to 1,245 in the
\nsame period. Police have been kept busy, arresting 1,261 students
\nin 1994, and 1,263 in 1995.<\/p>\n
Besides causing deaths and injuries, the brawls destroy a lot
\nof property. City buses are favorite targets, with students often
\nattacking other students on board buses. In 1995, 862 buses were
\ndamaged while the previous year the number was 1,158.<\/p>\n
Yet Soesilo warned against generalizing, and said that not all
\nschools are dangerous. Brawls have occurred at only four percent
\nof the city's 3,178 junior and senior high schools, he explained.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Police has repeatedly launched operations against
\nsuspicious-looking students in the streets and at bus terminals.
\nLast month, in one operation, they apprehended 121 high school
\nstudents in Central Jakarta and seized knives, swords and other
\nmetal objects used in brawls. (emb)<\/p>",
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