Regent criticized over treatment of school principal

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau

Thousands of students and teachers in Kampar regency, some 60 kilometers west of the Riau capital of Pekanbaru, took to the streets on Tuesday to demand the resignation of Kampar Regent Jefri Noer over the treatment of a local principal.

The protest closed schools in the regency for the day.

The protesters descended on the Sudirman traffic circle in Bangkinang, the capital of Kampar regency, in the morning. They unfurled banners and posters in front of the office of the Kampar regent, some reading: "Jefri must resign" and "Jefri is uneducated."

Some of the protesters occupied the regent's office, forcing civil servants to vacate the building.

Dozens of police officers gathered around the office to prevent the situation from turning violent.

Mawardi, one of the protesters, said the rally was called following a meeting between teachers in the regency and the then acting head of the Kampar Education and Culture Office, Basrun.

He claimed that some 7,000 teachers, 20,000 high school students and 13,000 junior high school students took part in the protest.

The incident that caused the protest occurred last Thursday, when Regent Jefri met with teachers and principals in his office. In the middle of the meeting, the regent ordered Abdul Latif, the principal of Air Tiris High School, to leave the room.

Jefri became irate when Abdul questioned the regency's budget allocation for education, which at Rp 700 billion was only 5 percent of the total budget.

Latif said that the budget allocation was too small, pointing out that the Constitution requires regional and central governments to allocate at least 20 percent of their total budgets to education.

"How dare you to talk to me like that. You are not on the same level as me," witnesses quoted Jefri as saying to the principal.

The regent's outburst has caused a backlash by teachers in the regency.

During the protest on Tuesday, the teachers and students said they would continue their actions until Jefri resigned.

The said the regent had insulted the teaching profession, and Jefri did not have the attitude necessary for a regent.

A spokesperson for the Kampar regency administration, Subirman, said Tuesday's protest was engineered by Basrun, the former acting head of the education and culture office.

Basrun was just dismissed by Jefri and replaced by Agus Pujiprasetiono from the Agency for the Assessment and the Application of Technology in Jakarta.

Riau Governor Rusli Zainal called on teachers to call an end to their protests because it was disrupting the regency's schools.

"It will cost the students dearly," he said as quoted by Antara news agency.