School's out for Ramadhan; 21-year policy reversed

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of National Education announced on Friday that schools would be closed during Ramadhan, which begins next week, to allow children to spend more time to learn about spiritual and ethical lessons at home during the Islamic fasting month.

Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin and Minister of Religious Affairs Tolchah Hasan signed the joint decree, reversing a ruling which has been contentious among some Muslim quarters for 21 years.

Under the new regulation, schools will be closed for 37 days, starting on the first day of Ramadhan. They will reopen on the 8th day of Syawal (the following month in the Islamic lunar calendar), or one week after the Idul Fitri holiday, which comes at the end of the fasting month. This means classes will resume on Jan. 16.

The ruling applies to all primary and secondary schools throughout the country. Although private non-Muslim schools are given the freedom to adjust their schedule on the condition that they permit Muslim students to take time off.

The government of then president Soeharto came under strong criticism from Muslim groups in 1978 when it declared that schools would stay open during Ramadhan.

Daoed Joesoef, the minister of education at the time, decreed that schools would only be closed on the first day of the fasting month and for the two-day Idul Fitri celebrations at the end of the period.

With Islamic groups gaining greater political clout over the years, in 1992 the government extended the holiday in the opening month to one week. It also cut school hours during the month.

The demand to declare the whole of Ramadhan a school holiday was raised as soon as Abdurrahman Wahid, a Muslim scholar, was elected in October to the presidency.

The House of Representatives pressed the issue this week during a hearing with Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin, who indicated last week the imminent decision.

"The holiday decision is based on the consideration that school children, especially those in the elementary schools, need more ethical education during the holy month," Yahya said.

The announcement was not greeted overly enthusiastically by older students or parents, many of whom said that students were better off spending the long day, in which they cannot eat or drink, at school.

Deputy at the Directorate General of Basic and Middle Level Education Baedhawi, who made the announcement at the Ministry of National Education, called for the organization of religious activities for children to fill in their days.

"We hope parents and schools can arrange extracurricular activities to keep children busy," he said.

"For private and non-Muslim schools, they can arrange their own schedule, but they must show flexibility toward their Muslim students," he added.

The head of the Catholic Education Board, Col. Louise Coldenhoss, told The Jakarta Post on Friday that Catholic schools would continue to organize classes during Ramadhan.

"We will give Muslim students a holiday, but our schools will stay open, and the teachers will continue with their jobs," she said, adding that the board would discuss the ruling on Monday.

Coldenhoss said that even before the ruling, Catholic schools had always been flexible with their Muslim students.

We have always let Muslim students go home earlier than the rest during the fasting month. This arrangement remains."

She noted that the ruling appeared at odds with the wishes of some Muslim students. "For years I have had many Muslim students, and they prefer to stay at school during the fasting month in order to pass the day."

Coldenhoss said many parents and children also preferred the school option during the fasting month to benefit from the teachers' supervision.

The chairman of the Ricci Catholic School Foundation, Hubertus Kasan Hidayat, said his schools would abide by the board's decision.

Many Muslim families send their children to Catholic schools that are traditionally renowned for their high standards.

Baedhawi said that with Ramadhan declared a holiday, the holiday at the end of each school year would be cut short from four to two weeks. He said that overall, the number of school days in the year had been cut back from 249 to 245 days.

He also announced the new revised dates for nationwide final school examinations (Ebtanas). For elementary schools these will be held from June 5 to June 7; for junior high school, from May 29 to May 31; and for senior high schools from May 22 to May 25.

The new revised dates for the entrance test for state universities will be announced at a later date. (04)