High school principal sacked after strikes<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The principal of a state-owned high school in
\nCentral Jakarta has been sacked for administrative errors and
\noverstepping his authority, actions which triggered a student
\nstrike in August.<\/p>\n
Two teachers of SMU I, on Jl. Budi Utomo, will also be moved
\nelsewhere for their involvement in the students' protest.<\/p>\n
Kusnan Ismukanto, the head of the city office of the Ministry
\nof Education and Culture, said yesterday that the investigation
\nteam appointed to check into the management of SMU I found
\nunaccounted for expenditures of Rp 25 million (US$10,688), out of
\na reportedly missing sum of Rp 64 million.<\/p>\n
\"However the principal has admitted his fault and has returned
\nall the money to us,\" Kusnan said yesterday. The administration
\nof funds at the school \"has to be corrected\", he said.<\/p>\n
The principal, Soedarno, was also found to have \"acted beyond
\nhis authority\" in the purchase of computers for the school.
\nStudents had also protested having to pay fees for computer
\nclasses which they said were made compulsory, instead of
\noptional, by Soedarno.<\/p>\n
Soedarno has been replaced temporarily by an executive of the
\nsupervision bureau of the city office of the education ministry.<\/p>\n
Students at the school, which was formerly one of the most
\npopular in the city, went on a two-day strike in August following
\nwritten complaints from teachers about the principal's policies.<\/p>\n
More than 30 teachers first reported a lack of transparency in
\nthe use of funds allocated to the school's cooperative and the
\nParents and Teachers Association in April.<\/p>\n
Before the strike the Target tabloid also quoted anonymous
\nsources who said the investigating team was allegedly bribed Rp
\n30 million by Soedarno. The principal is suing the newspaper for
\nlibel.<\/p>\n
The investigation team, led by Satiyono of the ministry's
\ninspectorate office, also found that two teachers, Irwan Muin and
\nEndang Suhendar did not report the students' demonstration plans
\nalthough they were aware of them.<\/p>\n
\"Irwan even gave recommendations in a meeting at a bus stop in
\nfront of the school,\" Kusnan said. As educators the teachers
\nshould have discouraged such plans, he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week the students staged another strike against
\nthe plans to move the two teachers, who they said were their
\nfavorite teachers.<\/p>\n
In response to whether the investigation team had sidestepped
\nthe issue of financial transparency by punishing the teachers,
\nKusnan said the protests were \"beyond the bounds of acceptable
\nstudent behavior.\" He cited their demands to remove not only the
\nprincipal but also his deputy for unclear reasons.<\/p>\n
\"I would be happy if students protested because teachers
\narrived late or did not check their exams,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Kusnan refused to comment on a number of other schools where
\nstudents have staged strikes or on the issue of financial
\ntransparency.<\/p>\n
\"Problems should be settled without having to resort to
\nstudents' strikes; I cannot let this continue as too many hours
\nare being lost because of strikes,\" he said. (anr)<\/p>",
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