Education bill could threaten national unity, educators say
Education bill could threaten national unity, educators say
Suherdjoko and Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Semarang/Purwokerto
About 5,000 students and teachers from Catholic and Protestant
private high schools staged a rally on Saturday at the Central
Java legislature to protest against the education bill now being
deliberated at the House of Representatives.
The teachers and students, who came from the provincial towns
of Semarang, Ungaran, Magelang, Salatiga, Magelang, Ambarawa and
Muntilan, said the bill was a threat to national harmony.
In their statement read by Catholic priest Tri Hartomo, the
protesters said the bill was not in line with the preamble of
1945 Constitution which states that one of the national
objectives is to build an intelligent nation.
"Instead of educating people, Article 4 of the bill asserts
that national education aims to produce faithful and devout
people," the statement read.
Article 13 is at the center of the controversy as it
stipulates that students have the right to obtain religious
lessons in accordance with their faith from teachers of the same
religion. Hence, a Catholic school, for example, would be
required to provide religious instruction in Islam for its
students of Islamic faith.
On the same day, about 200 teachers grouped under the Banyumas
People Concerned about Education (MPPB) took to streets in the
Central Java town before gathering at the regional legislature to
express their objection to the bill.
They said the bill contained articles that would undermine
national harmony and leave too much room for the government to
intervene in education.
"Not only does the bill contain contradictions in the use of
language, definition and legal concept, it has the potential to
spark social upheaval and national disharmony," the teachers said
in their statement.
The House special committee for the bill completed its
deliberation last month. Anwar Arifin, the head of the committee,
told The Jakarta Post that the House Commission VI for education
would call a plenary meeting to accommodate responses to the bill
before it is endorsed early next month.
The rallies in Semarang and Purwokerto followed a wave of
protests in Jakarta last week.
Since early March, the bill has sparked protests, mostly from
Christian schools.
The situation turned thorny when some Muslim organizations
held counter rallies in favor of the bill, asking the House and
the government to uphold an article that stipulates punishment
for those who violate article 13 of the bill.