Illegal school

From Kompas

A special team set up by the education ministry has closed down eight illegal schools in Tangerang, according to the city's head of the education office.

A team member, Adjat Suderadjat, attributed the closure to the fact that the schools do not have their own land and buildings and to the poor quality of their teachers. He also said that the schools had been a constant nuisance to the local education office at each annual examination period as they did not have the right to carry it out.

As an educator, I was very sad to read the news. In my view, the closure is not a wise policy because it rules out the possibility of the public taking part in education.

An appeal from the President is still in the air. He said, in May, that the private sector should help the government set up schools.

The Education and Culture Ministry should not operate like the police, nabbing and punishing criminals. The ministry's task is to educate human beings. And hence, rather than closing schools it should help them fulfill government regulations.

JAILANI SIHOTANG

Jakarta