Students may be forced to pray in bid to cut crime

Damar Harsanto The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Brawls, robbery, and drug abuse are offenses now commonly committed by students. And some teachers in West Jakarta are now hoping that forcing students to wear religious attire and perform various rituals might be a quick solution to the chronic problems.

"We make a good program in line with the West Jakarta mayor's instructions to oblige students to wear Muslim attire and perform religious rituals to strengthen their faithfulness and morality," said Ali Arsyad, the principal of state junior high school SMP 229 in Kebon Jeruk on Thursday.

Ali referred to the West Jakarta mayor's instruction No. 101, 2001 on programs to boost faithfulness and obedience toward God.

The regulation requires all West Jakarta students from all state elementary schools and high schools to wear Muslim attire on Fridays and on religious days besides performing various rituals.

Ali said the program aimed at providing physical conditions which were conducive to a student's development in moral and religious affairs.

"We hope student brawls and other delinquent behavior can be reduced through the program," said Ali.

Sujono, the principal of state senior high school SMU 73 in Slipi welcomed the program.

"The program does highlight differences in the students' religions. But, through such an obvious difference, the students may become more aware of their religious identity so that they can be more serious in developing their faith and obedience toward God," said Sujono.

Sujono, however, admitted that the program needed to be continuously evaluated as to whether or not it was effective in reaching its expected goals.

But Ardian, a student of SMU 73, lambasted the program which he said was more nuisance than benefit.

"It is uncomfortable to see other friends wearing different attire just because they have different religions from me," said Ardian, who is a Muslim student.

Ardian said that according to the regulation, Muslim male students must wear white shirts without a collar, popularly known as baju koko with Islamic cap (peci) while the Muslim female students must wear veils (jilbab).

The non-Muslim students, Ardian said, must wear their "own religious attire" including a tie and normal uniform for a Christian student.

About 450 non-Muslim students and some 850 Muslim students study at SMU 73.

Ardian also said baju koko or jilbab, which were claimed to be Muslim attire, had nothing to do with faithfulness and obedience to God.

"No guarantee that if we wear this 'Islamic attire', our faith will be stronger and tougher," said Ardian.

Mochtar Buchori, an expert on education, said he was skeptical that the program would be successful.

"That's not the way to implant morality in the students," Mochtar said.

Morality, Mochtar contended, was a "voluntary personal commitment to values," and not simply "an obligatory obedience toward imposed norms".

Mochtar also said that morality should be implanted in students through the whole education process. "Sports teacher could implant fairness in the students, while teachers of maths could promote honesty, or a teacher of arts could endorse compassion," Mochtar said.

"Responsibility for implanting moral values was the main task of all teachers whatever their subjects," Mochtar said.

He said the program could be counterproductive as it would freeze moral values in a subject on morality or even a subject on religious teaching.

"Should the program be proven counterproductive, it must be stopped as the cost paid is much greater than the benefit," Mochtar said.