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)