Dedi Mulyadi: Street fights outside school are parents' responsibility

CIREBON — West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has emphasised that parental responsibility for student supervision applies to activities conducted outside school hours, following the death of a student allegedly involved in a street fight in Bandung, West Java.

Dedi stated that he had received a report from the West Java Education Office regarding the incident, including information about parents’ previous commitment when signing statements concerning their children’s use of motorised vehicles.

“I have already reviewed the message from the Education Office. The parents have signed a statement that their child would not use a motorised vehicle,” Dedi said during a working visit to Cirebon on Saturday.

He stressed that the street fight occurred outside school hours and was carried out independently by the students, meaning primary responsibility rests with their respective parents.

According to Dedi, all parents of students had previously signed an official declaration stating their willingness to supervise their children to prevent them from using motorised vehicles.

“Parents must watch over their children—what time they leave and what time they return home,” he said.

He argued that not all issues involving students can be attributed to schools or local government. Dedi noted that the state’s responsibility through schools applies only during school hours.

“During school hours, that is the state’s responsibility. Outside school hours, it is already the parents’ responsibility,” he stated.

Dedi also commended the police for taking a firm stance in handling cases of student street fights and inter-student violence. Going forward, he said, enforcement of rules against students involved in street fights must be carried out more strictly to prevent such incidents from recurring.

“Not everything must be handled by the school or the governor. Only during school hours. During school hours, it is the state’s responsibility,” he added.

Previously, a student from SMAN 5 Bandung died following an alleged street fight with students from SMAN 2 Bandung in the Cihampelas Street area of Bandung on Friday night (13 March) through Saturday morning (14 March). Local police continue to investigate the sequence of events and those involved in the incident.