School's out for the fasting month<\/p>\n
With the Ramadhan fasting month beginning on Monday, millions
\nof Indonesian children are in for a long break from school. The
\nJakarta Post's Rita A. Widiadana, Ida Indawati Khouw,
\nEdith Hartanto and contributor Trihafiningsih examine
\nthe pros and cons of keeping children out of school during the
\nholy month.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Sixth grader Anissa is bubbling with excitement.<\/p>\n
Ramadhan is coming, and with it a school vacation in which she
\nhopes to take things easy.<\/p>\n
\"I can go back to sleep after sahur (the predawn meal) and I
\ndon't have to do my homework. I hope I can spend my Ramadhan in
\nmy grandmother's hometown of Bandung, West Java,\" said the
\nstudent of SDN Kelapa Dua in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Muslims across the world will abstain from eating, smoking,
\nsex and other worldly pleasures from dawn to dusk for about 30
\ndays until Dec. 26. The post-fasting month celebration of Idul
\nFitri is scheduled to fall on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28.<\/p>\n
For many local students, the fasting month means temporary
\nfreedom from classes, homework, chasing buses and the threat of
\nbrawls.<\/p>\n
For teachers and parents, the changed schedule can mean a
\nwhopping headache.<\/p>\n
Head of Yayasan Pembina Pendidikan Adik Irma Foundation Amita
\nMusfari Haroen said the government's requirement of a 38-day
\nschool break during the holy month was disruptive.<\/p>\n
\"We already have too many holidays during this school calendar
\nyear. We've only got limited time to complete the entire school
\ncurriculum. I'm sure the kids won't be able to finish all the
\nrequirements if the school is off during the entire fasting
\nmonth,\" Amita complained.<\/p>\n
A dentist and mother of two, Riana, has her own objections.<\/p>\n
\"I'm very busy and I don't know how to create effective
\nprograms for my kids. Maybe I should enroll them at pesantren
\nkilat (short-term religious classes),\" she said.<\/p>\n
Controversy<\/p>\n
The issue of school holidays during the fasting month has been
\nan emotional and controversial one.<\/p>\n
The public discord started in 1978, when the New Order
\ngovernment of Soeharto faced strong opposition from the Muslim
\ncommunity, including the respected Islamic scholar Hamka, when it
\nannounced that schools would stay open during the fasting month.<\/p>\n
Previously, many private schools devised their own schedules
\nduring the fasting month. But Soeharto and former minister of
\neducation and culture Daoed Joesoef decided schools would only be
\nclosed on the first day of the fasting month and for the two-day
\nIdul Fitri celebrations.<\/p>\n
The policy was a blow to many Muslim scholars and politicians,
\nwho wanted schools closed during the entire month.<\/p>\n
Their prayers were answered when Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid,
\nformer chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization
\nNadhatul Ulama, was elected president in October last year.<\/p>\n
The holy month was declared a school holiday period, eliciting
\nmixed reactions from the public.<\/p>\n
Some parents and educators contend the holiday is a major
\ndisruption in the school year and that the Ministry of National
\nEducation has bowed to pressure from Islamic groups.<\/p>\n
Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin insisted the
\nholiday was worthwhile because it allowed students to gain a
\ngreater understanding of their faith.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that students, in this case Muslim students, have
\nto take advantage of the holiday to fully comprehend their
\nreligious teachings and have better interaction with their
\nparents,\" he said at the recent opening of a national meeting of
\nhis ministry and the Ministry of Religious Affairs.<\/p>\n
Following the meeting, which discussed Ramadhan, minimum
\neducation requirements and the academic calendar, the two
\nministries issued a joint circular urging school administrators
\nto comply with the holiday.<\/p>\n
He dismissed the accusation that there were political motives
\nbehind the policy.<\/p>\n
\"There are parents who are too lazy to take care of their
\nchildren during the fasting month because they don't know how to
\nfill the holiday time with positive activities ...<\/p>\n
\"I even received a protest from a relative because she seems
\nto be confused on what to do with her children during the
\nholidays. So there's nothing political about it.\"<\/p>\n
Director General for Primary and Secondary Education Indra
\nDjati Sidi said that even with the long holiday there were still
\nbetween 245 days and 250 days in the school year.<\/p>\n
\"As long as the school days are no less than required, there
\nis no problem,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Private schools, he added, could conduct extracurricular
\nactivities during the period if they wished.<\/p>\n
A member of the academic development division of Al Ihzar
\nIslamic school in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, Aditi Husni, said
\nthe private school would not comply fully with the instruction.<\/p>\n
\"We consider the fasting month isn't an obstacle for the
\nschool process, as has been proven in the past. That's why Al
\nIhzar school will only have two weeks of the Ramadhan holiday
\nstarting from Nov. 27 until Dec. 4, while the Idul Fitri holiday
\nwill start on Dec. 20 and last until Jan. 5.\"<\/p>\n
The school day will be reduced from eight hours to seven
\nhours.<\/p>\n
The school will introduce a special program, Penjelajahan Awal
\nRamadhan (PAR), meaning the \"first adventure of Ramadhan\", which
\nconsists of a series of religious activities held at different
\nsites.<\/p>\n
The principal of SMUN 7 in Utan Kayu, Adi Dasmin, said
\nthe state high school scheduled short-term religious classes,
\nbeginning the first day of the fasting month.<\/p>\n
The materials include Koranic recitals and moral instruction.
\nTeachers also prepare extra homework and school projects to keep
\nstudents occupied.<\/p>\n
While the adults bicker about the holiday, students have their
\nown concerns.<\/p>\n
\"Why are the government and schools always fussy when
\nRamadhan holy month comes?\" commented Pramana, a high school
\nstudent in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. \"They keep changing the
\nregulation which really confuses us.\"<\/p>\n
It's a feeling shared by some of his peers.<\/p>\n
A student at Sudirman High School in Cijantung, Wuryani, said
\nthe officials must get their act together.<\/p>\n
\"I'm fed up with the inconsistent decisions. It's time for the
\nbapak-bapak (government officials) to make a policy which is good
\nfor us, not for them.\"<\/p>",
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