Deadly brawls scare parents, but fail to worry students
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
What was supposed to be a happy celebration for two high school students turned into a tragic ending when one was instantly killed and the other seriously injured in a student brawl that started minutes after they finished their final exam.
Afrianson, 18, a student of high school SMU Pangudirahayu died instantly after he was shot in the head, while Rizki, also 18, is in hospital for injuries to his cheek.
They are the latest victims of escalating student brawls in the city, with students from SMU Pangudirahayu going against those from vocational school SMK Sudirman, both in East Jakarta, on Thursday.
The day before, a student brawl in Tebet, South Jakarta also claimed the life of Cahyadi, 20, a student of Sahid Jaya University. He died from severe injuries to his head and back.
On the same day, police detained 16 students of state vocational school SMK 5 in Kebon Sereh, East Jakarta, for allegedly hijacking a bus plying the Pulo Gadung-Blok M route and robbing passengers of their belongings. Police also seized dozens of sharp weapons.
The shocking news of student brawls and other criminal acts by teens in the media have distressed many parents, even though the youths involved in the crimes amount to only a small percentage of high school students.
"My heart speeds up and I fill up with tension if my son arrives home late in the afternoon from school," said Mawaryuni, whose son, Rofan is a student at SMU 13 in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.
Mawaryuni said that her excessive worrying has led her to constantly call her son's cell phone to find out where he is and if he is safe.
Mawaryuni said she was still traumatized from when she was called by police notifying her that her other son, who was studying at vocational school SMK Vincentius in Kramat, Central Jakarta, was taken to the hospital for injuries he received in a student brawl.
Free from the worries that cloud most parents' minds, Rani, a student at a vocational school in East Jakarta, was not surprised to hear about the recent robbery and brawl committed by students, including some of her schoolmates.
"Brawls and robberies are common. They (the students) may just be doing it for kicks as their confidence runs high when they are in a group," Rani said.
Most students gather on streets or at bus stops to protect themselves from other groups.
"We don't want to die young like a friend of ours who was beaten to death by an unidentified group of students," said Rani.
But she said that when more students join the group, it would be easy for it to clash with other passing groups.
Meanwhile, Daniel A, the vice principal of SMK 5, denied that criminal offenses committed by students had something to do with the school.
Instead, Daniel put the blame on "bad elements" in the students' neighborhoods.
"Students spend more of their time with family and society than in school. We give the best we can to students, but we cannot ensure that they will also get good experiences in their neighborhood," Daniel said.
Commenting on the recent serious offenses committed by students, an expert on education, J. Drost, said the problem was deeply rooted in students' homes, which are supposed to be properly educating them.
"Besides, schools must also change the way they educate children. Good education has yet to be realized," said Drost.
He added that teachers must be competent in their field.