School's out for the fasting month
With the Ramadhan fasting month beginning on Monday, millions of Indonesian children are in for a long break from school. The Jakarta Post's Rita A. Widiadana, Ida Indawati Khouw, Edith Hartanto and contributor Trihafiningsih examine the pros and cons of keeping children out of school during the holy month.
JAKARTA (JP): Sixth grader Anissa is bubbling with excitement.
Ramadhan is coming, and with it a school vacation in which she hopes to take things easy.
"I can go back to sleep after sahur (the predawn meal) and I don't have to do my homework. I hope I can spend my Ramadhan in my grandmother's hometown of Bandung, West Java," said the student of SDN Kelapa Dua in East Jakarta.
Muslims across the world will abstain from eating, smoking, sex and other worldly pleasures from dawn to dusk for about 30 days until Dec. 26. The post-fasting month celebration of Idul Fitri is scheduled to fall on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28.
For many local students, the fasting month means temporary freedom from classes, homework, chasing buses and the threat of brawls.
For teachers and parents, the changed schedule can mean a whopping headache.
Head of Yayasan Pembina Pendidikan Adik Irma Foundation Amita Musfari Haroen said the government's requirement of a 38-day school break during the holy month was disruptive.
"We already have too many holidays during this school calendar year. We've only got limited time to complete the entire school curriculum. I'm sure the kids won't be able to finish all the requirements if the school is off during the entire fasting month," Amita complained.
A dentist and mother of two, Riana, has her own objections.
"I'm very busy and I don't know how to create effective programs for my kids. Maybe I should enroll them at pesantren kilat (short-term religious classes)," she said.
Controversy
The issue of school holidays during the fasting month has been an emotional and controversial one.
The public discord started in 1978, when the New Order government of Soeharto faced strong opposition from the Muslim community, including the respected Islamic scholar Hamka, when it announced that schools would stay open during the fasting month.
Previously, many private schools devised their own schedules during the fasting month. But Soeharto and former minister of education and culture Daoed Joesoef decided schools would only be closed on the first day of the fasting month and for the two-day Idul Fitri celebrations.
The policy was a blow to many Muslim scholars and politicians, who wanted schools closed during the entire month.
Their prayers were answered when Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, former chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization Nadhatul Ulama, was elected president in October last year.
The holy month was declared a school holiday period, eliciting mixed reactions from the public.
Some parents and educators contend the holiday is a major disruption in the school year and that the Ministry of National Education has bowed to pressure from Islamic groups.
Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin insisted the holiday was worthwhile because it allowed students to gain a greater understanding of their faith.
"I believe that students, in this case Muslim students, have to take advantage of the holiday to fully comprehend their religious teachings and have better interaction with their parents," he said at the recent opening of a national meeting of his ministry and the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Following the meeting, which discussed Ramadhan, minimum education requirements and the academic calendar, the two ministries issued a joint circular urging school administrators to comply with the holiday.
He dismissed the accusation that there were political motives behind the policy.
"There are parents who are too lazy to take care of their children during the fasting month because they don't know how to fill the holiday time with positive activities ...
"I even received a protest from a relative because she seems to be confused on what to do with her children during the holidays. So there's nothing political about it."
Director General for Primary and Secondary Education Indra Djati Sidi said that even with the long holiday there were still between 245 days and 250 days in the school year.
"As long as the school days are no less than required, there is no problem," he said.
Private schools, he added, could conduct extracurricular activities during the period if they wished.
A member of the academic development division of Al Ihzar Islamic school in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, Aditi Husni, said the private school would not comply fully with the instruction.
"We consider the fasting month isn't an obstacle for the school process, as has been proven in the past. That's why Al Ihzar school will only have two weeks of the Ramadhan holiday starting from Nov. 27 until Dec. 4, while the Idul Fitri holiday will start on Dec. 20 and last until Jan. 5."
The school day will be reduced from eight hours to seven hours.
The school will introduce a special program, Penjelajahan Awal Ramadhan (PAR), meaning the "first adventure of Ramadhan", which consists of a series of religious activities held at different sites.
The principal of SMUN 7 in Utan Kayu, Adi Dasmin, said the state high school scheduled short-term religious classes, beginning the first day of the fasting month.
The materials include Koranic recitals and moral instruction. Teachers also prepare extra homework and school projects to keep students occupied.
While the adults bicker about the holiday, students have their own concerns.
"Why are the government and schools always fussy when Ramadhan holy month comes?" commented Pramana, a high school student in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. "They keep changing the regulation which really confuses us."
It's a feeling shared by some of his peers.
A student at Sudirman High School in Cijantung, Wuryani, said the officials must get their act together.
"I'm fed up with the inconsistent decisions. It's time for the bapak-bapak (government officials) to make a policy which is good for us, not for them."