Five-day school week

Five-day school week

From Republika

The plan to introduce a five-day week for educational
institutions in Indonesia requires attention to a number of
aspects involving the interests of students and teachers.

First: the ability to concentrate on lessons. On the average,
Indonesians are able to concentrate for seven hours. Would
additional hours of study be healthy for the students' minds?

Second: the sense of discipline of students and teachers.
Won't two days holiday give teachers and students an opportunity
to stay at home on Fridays, too? The present reality is that
students are often found to stay away from school on Saturdays.
Teachers, too, are often found to be absent. Have such tendencies
been considered?

Third: the problem of juvenile delinquency. Two days holiday
provide greater opportunity for gatherings with negative
excesses.

Fourth: harmonious relations between parents and children.
Taking into consideration the increased number of working hours,
will having two days holiday increase the intimacy between
parents and children? Not all public servants or teachers are
male. For women teachers with small children this could pose a
dilemma.

TEDDY WIDARA RUSPARLIN

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