Don't involve students in demos

Don't involve students in demos

From Suara Karya

Rallies have been staged again recently on an increasing scale in Jakarta, Surabaya and other cities across the country. Unfortunately, it seems that these rallies have been exploited by certain quarters. We can see television reports of rallies held by those in favor of or against the President where some of the participants have clearly been forced to take part in the rallies.

In a number of the rallies, we can easily see secondary school students, still wearing their school uniform, taking part. One may suspect that their teachers or the "rulers" in their schools may have forced them to join the rallies. Failing to participate in a rally may mean punishment for them.

If this is the case, what will happen to these students? Must their education take second place for the sake of a particular group's interest? If this is true, it is really sinful to let it happen because the trust that the students' parents/guardians have placed in the people they trust has been abused.

What will happen to this country? There will be no progress in our education if education always takes second place after the interest or ambition of a particular group only.

I hope that teachers will heed this complaint, that comes from the heart of a student's parent. Do not abuse our trust. Do not exploit our children as an instrument to achieve personal or group ambition. Remember that we do not send our children to school in order to join street rallies. It will be different if our children have joined a university and wish to join a street rally by themselves.

SRI MOENIARTI

Jakarta