Parents brace for first day of school

Parents brace for first day of school

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta

It's school time again on Monday after almost one-month's
holiday, time for traffic congestion in the morning and early
afternoon around popular schools located on busy streets.

But, not only students were back at school, their parents also
took several days off just to get their children reacquainted
with school.

"I've taken a week's leave to accompany my daughter to school.
I must make sure that she gets used to leaving for school and
going home on public transportation," Kristin, a resident of
Tebet Dalam, South Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

She was waiting for her daughter at the front gate of state
high school SMA 68 in Salemba, Central Jakarta.

With worry lines clearly etched on her face, Kristin said that
her daughter had never gone home alone using public
transportation.

"From our home to school, she has to switch buses twice," she
said, adding that what she feared most was her daughter would get
lost amid the city's chaotic transportation system.

Crimes aboard buses and violent student brawls in many parts
of the capital made going to school by bus not a comfortable
prospect for 15-year-old students, especially for boys.
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"I'm considering giving her a cellular phone to enable me to
contact her anytime in order to know her whereabouts and to make
sure she is safe," Kristin added.

She is not alone. Another parent, Syamsudin, an employee of
the Ministry of Communications, also took several days off just
to accompany his daughter to school.

Syamsudin said that his daughter used to go to a school close
to their home in South Bekasi, about 30 kilometers to the east of
Jakarta.

Syamsudin said that he enrolled his daughter at a state school
far from home as he was concerned about the quality of education
at state schools close to their home.

"They impose additional tests to admit new students. I heard
some parents had bribed school teachers with up to Rp 7 million
to pass the tests. I can't imagine what would happen if my
daughter studied there," he said.

Meanwhile, Sinaga, whose daughter was enrolled at SMA 8 in
Bukit Duri, South Jakarta, said that she was worried whether the
atmosphere of the school's would be conducive to her daughter's
development.

"I know my daughter well. If she feels comfortable in an
environment it will make her smarter, but a nonconducive
situation would only discourage her. If I find that the school is
not suitable for her, I will take her to another school which can
provide a better environment in which to study," said the
resident of Bekasi.

The Jakarta Middle and High School Education Agency reported
earlier that 31,699 new students were admitted to 115 state high
schools across the city for the 2004-2005 academic year. However,
around 2,300 would-be students failed to reregister to confirm
their admission at the respective schools.

New students did not have formal classes on Monday since they
were given time to get acquainted with new classmates and to
adapt themselves to the new environment.