Education minister, Sutiyoso summoned over SMP 56 dispute

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Post

The House of Representatives Commission VI for human resources and religious affairs named Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fajar and businessman Abdul Latief as responsible for the situation at SMP 56 state junior high school.

Classes were taught in the parking lot on Monday as the school had been taken over by the Jakarta administration on Sunday.

The House will summon the three parties for a hearing on alleged irregularities in the takeover.

"We will summon them immediately, possibly for our first hearing next week," said deputy chairman of the commission Heri Akhmadi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) on Tuesday during a meeting of the party and SMP 56 students, teachers and parents.

According to Heri, the occupation of the building by public order officers and police was intolerable. He said the children had the right to continue their education.

"The takeover was a violation of the presidential decree that stipulates a land swap deal worth over Rp 10 billion (US$1.12 million) must be approved by the President," he said.

He regretted the governor's involvement in the conflict.

"The land swap deal only concerns developer PT Tata Disantara and the Ministry of National Education (through the city intermediate and higher education agency). Sutiyoso should not have meddled in the dispute despite his argument that the decentralization of educational affairs enabled him to do so," he said.

The dispute started in 2001 when the ministry, and developer PT Tata Disantara -- owned by former manpower minister Latief -- signed a land swap deal. Two school buildings in Jeruk Purut and Bintaro, both in South Jakarta, would be bartered for the school grounds on Jl. Melawai Raya, South Jakarta under the deal.

Teachers, students and parents refused the deal, arguing the new location in Jeruk Purut was too far from their homes. They also suspected irregularities in the deal and filed a civil lawsuit against it.

The South Jakarta District Court rejected the suit last December but the Jakarta High Court ordered the deal could not be executed, pending a final verdict.

However, the administration insisted on proceeding with the deal and on many occasions deployed public order officers to force students and teachers to leave the school.

Prior to the April 5 election the administration had agreed to delay the takeover.

Another PDI-P legislator Permadi said, if Sutiyoso was reluctant to wait for the court's verdict on the land swap deal, students, teachers, parents and the public could unite in a move to unseat the governor.

"We could start a second Kampar movement," he said in fury, referring to the mass protest in Kampar regency, Riau province whereby educators had successfully demanded the dismissal of regent Jefri Noer.