School ousts girl bullies

JAKARTA: Seven female students at Budi Utomo High School in Central Jakarta were expelled on Wednesday for bullying, Tempointeraktif.com reported on Thursday.

Headmaster Ratiyono announced that the school had asked the seven girl students to leave the school following complaints that they had stripped the clothes off a junior student in the school bathroom.

Ratiyono said that the competition among social groups in the school had gone out of control.

"With their parents' consent, the students have left," he said.

The seven girls, who were in their last year and about to face final exam in several weeks, stripped a first grader who they said was "a rival" on March 17.

A teacher, who was passing by the bathroom, heard a cry and went inside to look. She reported the case to the headmaster, who later held long meeting with students' parents. -- JP