Crime creeps into school playgrounds<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Residents of Jakarta have been feeling increasingly insecure
\nthese days, with the specter of crime seemingly hanging over the
\nentire city. This insecurity has also crept into the city's
\nschools, where students are victimized daily by their classmates.<\/p>\n
"It happens. Some friends of mine know about extorting other
\nstudents to supplement their allowances," said Wawan Setiawan,
\nwho has been a victim himself.<\/p>\n
Wawan, a student at SMU 26 high school in Tebet, South
\nJakarta, said some students carried sharp weapons in their school
\nbags.<\/p>\n
"They say that it is for self-defense in case there is a brawl
\nwith students from other schools," he said.<\/p>\n
Deadly brawls between groups of students have become almost
\ncommonplace in Jakarta. Some students even think of these brawls
\nas a tradition to be handed down to incoming students.<\/p>\n
The most recent incident took place in Kramat Jati, East
\nJakarta, on Jan. 21.<\/p>\n
Fahromy Rizali, 18, a student at SMU Respati high school, died
\nof severe injuries suffered in a bloody clash between students
\nfrom his school, located on Jl. Inpres in Kramat Jati, and
\nstudents from SMU Sudirman, located on Jl. Raya Bogor in
\nCijantung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Also alarming for both teachers and parents are recent reports
\nof serious crimes committed by students.<\/p>\n
Last month, different groups of armed students committed two
\nrobberies on buses in the capital.<\/p>\n
Four students from a technical high school in Cengkareng,
\nTangerang, were arrested by the Kalideres Police after they
\nrobbed passengers on a Bulan Jaya bus plying the Kalideres-
\nBalaraja route. Police confiscated knifes and machetes from the
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
On the same day, another group of students robbed passengers
\non a PPD bus along Jl. DI Panjaitan in Rawamangun, East Jakarta.
\nThe students managed to escape.<\/p>\n
"I'm really concerned by these reports. Teachers are often
\nblamed for such appalling incidents," said Waluyo Hadi, the
\nassistant principal of vocational school SMK 16 in Manggarai,
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Waluyo blamed the situation on the country's educational
\nsystem, which emphasizes teaching rather than educating students.<\/p>\n
"The key to the problem is cooperation between the parents and
\nteachers in seeking a solution to the students' problems," Waluyo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He also said that fixing the educational system would be
\ndifficult because most teachers were busy moonlighting, mostly
\nteaching at other schools, to supplement their low salaries. As a
\nresult, they do not have the time to improve their
\nprofessionalism or give their students proper attention.<\/p>\n
The average teaching fee at a private school is about Rp 5,000
\nper hour. At a state high school the monthly salary for teachers,
\nwho are categorized as III rank civil servants, is about Rp 1.2
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
Waluyo said he taught at three high schools in Jakarta. "But
\nthe ignorance and indifference of the parents also contributes to
\nthe deterioration of the educational system," he said.<\/p>\n
The assistant principal of SMU 24 high school in Palmerah,
\nCentral Jakarta, Adin Sarmawan R., agreed with Waluyo, saying
\nthat many parents refused to attend meetings with teachers.<\/p>\n
"Many times, they ask drivers or housemaids to represent
\nthem," Adin said.<\/p>\n
When students have problems in school and the problems become
\nunbearable, they can turn to drugs, which in turn can easily lead
\nthem to crime, said Adin.<\/p>\n
Mahendra, a second-year student at SMU Fransiskus high school
\nin Kramat, Central Jakarta, agreed, saying that drug addiction
\ncould be the reason why some students turn to crime.<\/p>\n
Both Waluyo and Adin agreed that student crime should be
\naddressed by improving the educational system. But without an
\nintegrated effort involving all parties, any attempt to fix the
\nsystem is sure to fail.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/crime-creeps-into-school-playgrounds-1447893297",
"image": ""
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