Campus campaigns put off-limits
Campus campaigns put off-limits
JAKARTA (JP): A high-ranking official of the Ministry of
Education says political parties are allowed to hold and attend
discussions at universities.
Director General of Higher Education Bambang Soehendro said
here on Friday politicians may visit and address seminars and
gatherings on campuses as long as they are meant as scientific
activities. However, they would be barred from campaigning at the
universities.
Speaking at a seminar held by the Association for Development
and Research in Higher education (AP3TI), Bambang said the
flowering debates and seminars at campuses were part of academic
freedom.
Antara reported earlier that Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the
chairman of the Crescent Star Party said universities had to be
neutral from political intervention. "At least political parties
should not interfere in campuses physically."
Yusril noted the presence of political parties at universities
should be limited to debates, not provocative speeches.
On Thursday, University of Indonesia's student senate refused
to let supporters of a faction of the splintered Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) come to their campus in Salemba, Central
Jakarta.
The supporters meant to attend the university's Alumnae
Association (ILUNI) seminar on reform, to which Megawati and
Moslem politician Amien Rais had been invited. The organizers
later said they canceled the invitation.
Bambang said on Friday that rectors of universities had to
evaluate activities in campuses, including political seminars and
debates, and decide whether they went beyond scientific realms.
"It is the rectors' authority to allow seminars or debates,"
he said, adding the rectors, too, must supervise campus
activities.
In June, President B.J. Habibie told 55 rectors of
universities to facilitate campaigns for reform but to prevent
campuses from being turned into political arenas.
In the seminar, Bambang also noted the need for more schools
with applied sciences in order to meet demands of industries and
the market.
"We need more academies in science, technology, business and
commerce and more skillful graduates," he said.
There are 1,340 universities throughout the country, including
76 state-owned universities which have 26 three-year diploma
programs whose aim was to produce skilled graduates ready to be
absorbed into the workforce.
Ministry of Education data compiled in 1996 said that 5.5
million students were expected to have graduated by 2020. (01)