Other ways to spend vacation days

Other ways to spend vacation days

JAKARTA (JP): How do students fill their month-long school
holidays?

"Not everybody can join the Pesantren Kilat (Islamic short
course) at my school. Only some of us can participate," said a
student in Jakarta.

Government and community groups have long devised programs for
students on holiday. The state-owned PT Pos Indonesia postal
company, for instance, hires students to do simple tasks such as
sorting mail. A few years ago, students even filled their long
days by going around the city painting over graffiti in public
places.

Students of more affluent families may spend their holidays
traveling. Mira, a second year student at a private senior high
school, said she planned to attend an English course in Sydney,
Australia.

The program will last two weeks. The students will stay with
local English speaking families to improve their conversation
skills.

The lessons will also be complemented by sightseeing trips.

Mira argued that this program would be more beneficial for her
than local programs: "I took an English course here, but we
didn't get to practice with a native speaker from England, or
with people who use English everyday."

"It was quite unsatisfactory because we had to practice among
ourselves. I found our pronunciation awkward and our
conversations clumsy," she explained.

Another student, Lidya, is working part-time as a stall
attendant at the Jakarta Fair during her vacation. She earns Rp
50,000 a day. She thinks that everybody should be free to decide
how to spend the holidays, whether this means joining Pesantren
Kilat, just plain having fun or working part time.

Lidya wanted to join the religious course, but was unable
because she failed to register on time.

"Working is not so bad," she said. "Now I can afford to buy
things. I don't have to beg for money from my parents for theater
tickets or a new dress." (Fitriyanti Djoni)