Get tough on delinquents: Official

JAKARTA (JP): School principals must take stern action against students who break the law and disrupt public order, an official says.

Kusnan Ismukanto, head of the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Education and Culture, said yesterday that there is no need to defend students who make trouble.

He said school principals may either suspend or expel such students, depending on what they have done. However, he did not say whether his office had issued any instructions in relation to such actions.

Answering reporters' questions, Kusnan said some schools had expelled students for committing various criminal acts.

He acknowledged that the number of student brawls has increased recently, adding that student brawls and juvenile delinquency are the responsibility of all layers of society. "No one party is to blame for that."

Kusnan called on parents to find extra time for their children, as the latter will face regular tests from Oct. 9 until Oct. 13.

"Communication between parents and their children is required," he said, urging parents to make sure that their children go to school and return home on time.

City police records show that during the first six months of this year there were 123 security disturbances involving students, including brawls, torture and robberies.

There were 183 cases in 1994 and 80 cases in 1993.

Over 1,500 students were arrested for involvement in disturbances between January and June this year. Of those, 200 were jailed and the other 66 are still awaiting trial.

Police also recorded that 172 buses and five school buildings were damaged by students this year.

There are 350 senior high schools in Jakarta, 35 of which have been put on a black list because of their reputations for unrest and violence. (29)