Students join teachers strike in C. Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Some 350 students of a vocational school in Central Jakarta joined teachers in a strike Monday. Their teachers have been striking over the dismissal of the headmaster by the school's board of management since Feb. 28.

Thirty-two teachers of the Ksatrya school of economics and administration on Jl. Percetakan Negara have gone on strike as a show of solidarity with the discharged headmaster, M. Effendi.

The students and teachers yesterday displayed posters saying they would not go back to the classroom until Effendi had been reinstated.

According to the teachers, Effendi was fired on Feb. 18 after he submitted a proposal to the school board that Lebaran allowance for teachers be raised and school facilities and equipment be improved.

Effendi's dismissal enraged the teachers and they filed a vote of no-confidence with the board on Feb. 28, saying that the board's decision was unfair and it showed indifference toward teachers' demands.

But the chairman of the foundation, Marsudi Kindar, said the dispute between the foundation and the teachers should neither end up in strike nor involve the students .

"I don't like the students being involved in this, but it seems that the teachers have incited the students to also join the strike. If the teaches have problems, they may just come to me and we will sort it out together," Marsudi said.

Some teachers said they had tried to solve the problem in a friendly manner but to no avail.

Marsudi said the foundation fired Effendi because he had violated the school's regulations by accepting a position of deputy headmaster in another school.

Marsudi said, however, that he had agreed to meet with students yesterday afternoon to immediately end the dispute. (04)