Students leave SMP 56, principal stays on<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The remaining 53 students from SMP 56 junior high school in
\nMelawai, South Jakarta, bid farewell to their old school on
\nMonday during the last flag-hoisting ceremony.<\/p>\n
The ceremony was held on the parking lot of state bank BNI's
\nMelawai branch, as the school building was sealed off by the
\nJakarta administration on Nov. 17.<\/p>\n
Ordered by the city administration, the students agreed to
\nmove to SMP 13 nearby and left the school principal Nurlela to
\nfight alone to get the school back.<\/p>\n
"This is not really a farewell. The children have to continue
\ntheir studies. I thank the School Committee and parents who had
\nbeen in this fight together with me. But I will stay until the
\nSupreme Court says otherwise," she said.<\/p>\n
The school building was still in legal dispute as Nurlela and
\nsome parents the land swap deal between the Ministry of Education
\nand developer PT Tata Disantara was tainted with corruption which
\nrequired them to move to a new school building in the Jeruk Purut
\narea of South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Their persistent fight had put the students in limbo as the
\ncity administration declared Nurlela's school illegal and that
\nthe students could not resume their studies if they did not move
\nto another state school.<\/p>\n
Since the closure of the Melawai school building, while the
\nstudents were away on Idul Fitri holiday, the students had to
\nstudy under the scorching heat on the sidewalk of the commercial
\ndistrict in Melawai.<\/p>\n
The police have also named Nurlela -- who has been fired as a
\nstate teacher by the Jakarta administration -- a suspect for
\noperating an illegal school.<\/p>\n
The administration officials said that they might drop
\nNurlela's case if she were to make an official apology.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-leave-smp-56-principal-stays-on-1447893297",
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