Some schools opt to stay open during Ramadhan

Some schools opt to stay open during Ramadhan

JAKARTA (JP): Most privately run schools in the capital have
decided not to follow the government's call to suspend classes
during the fasting month of Ramadhan.

Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post on Tuesday,
teachers and students of the schools, including those from
Islamic institutions, said they wanted their activities to run as
usual during the monthlong Ramadhan, which will start on
Thursday.

Although they are not closing for the entire month, some
private schools are shortening school hours, with others closing
for a few days at the beginning and end of the fasting period.

Only state schools have decided to obey the government's call
to close, stipulated in a joint decree signed on Thursday by
Minister of National Education Yahya A. Muhaimin and Minister of
Religious Affairs Tolchah Hasan.

Many private school principals said students were more
productive when they stayed in school during the fasting month.

Students concurred, saying that they would not know how to
occupy their time if they were required to stay at home for the
month.

"It's better for students to stay in school to follow their
academic activities. Besides, they can also study Islamic
lessons," said Gin Abdussalam, principal of SMP Al Azhar junior
high school in Kemang, South Jakarta.

A holiday, she said, would only leave students beyond the
control of their parents and teachers.

"Therefore, it will be better for us to take care of the
students with positive activities, such as lessons on religion
and ethics, during the holy month," said Gin, 54, who has been
with the school for 20 years.

"For example, we will replace physical education lessons with
the Dhuha (morning prayer). We'll also oblige the students to
recite passages from the Koran for a half hour at the opening of
the school day."

Al Azhar, one of several leading Islamic schools here, is
widely recognized for its high academic standards.

All students of the school are Muslim, although the principal
said the school was open to all students regardless of their
religion.

An announcement signed by an executive of Syifa Budi
Foundation that runs the school stated that school hours for
Ramadhan would be from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m, instead of the
regular 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The noted Laboratorium Pendidikan high school, popularly known
as Lab School, will be closed on the first three days of Ramadhan
and a week before and after Idul Fitri, the first day that
Muslims mark the end of the fasting month.

"It's the students that pressed us not to close the school
during Ramadhan, saying that they needed activities during the
holy month," Arief Rachman, the school principal and a prominent
educator and Muslim scholar, said by phone from Samarinda, East
Kalimantan.

The school has reduced school hours during the month out of
respect for students who are fasting.

Not all students at the school are Muslims.

Arief said he supported the government's decision to close
schools during the holy month.

"With the decree, the government tried to use the momentum of
Ramadhan to increase the students' understanding of religion and
moral lessons."

Muslim students at Catholic schools also declared their
commitment to continue going to school, although their principals
said they were permitted to stay at home during Ramadhan.

"I will fall behind my friends if I quit the classes," said
Bisma Pamungkas, a second year student at SMA Pangudi Luhur
Catholic senior high school on Jl. Brawijaya, South Jakarta.

Another Muslim student, Adwiya Pascahaji, added: "We would not
know what to do during the fasting month."

Deputy principal of the school Purwanto said the school would
operate as usual because the government provided flexibility for
schools with "certain characteristics" to disregard the ruling.

"We will permit our Muslim students not to attend the classes
during Ramadhan if they wish," he said.

But we won't give substitute lessons for them later."

Muslims comprise 40 percent of the school's 500 students.

State schools will apparently comply with the government's
call.

"We will close school during the entire month of Ramadhan,"
said Abdul Kadir Husensome, deputy principal of state SMP 56
junior high school in South Jakarta.

However, he said many parents asked that he keep school open
to ensure their children would not be unproductive or misbehave.

The Jakarta International School will close for three weeks
starting from Dec. 17.

"The school management announced that the holidays were in
accordance with Ramadhan and Christmas," said Lee Yong Se, a
Korea student of the school in South Jakarta.

The government's recent ruling reversed a 21-year policy of
onetime education minister Daoed Jusuf, which required students
to attend classes during the fasting month. (asa)