Violence against students on the rise

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): As many as 180 schools, including Islamic boarding schools, in 20 of the 24 regencies in the province have violated students, reports said on Tuesday.

Rusdin Tompo, coordinator for the South Sulawesi Program Development wing of the Child Protection Agency, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that the some of the schools were located in the regencies of Gowa, Takalar, Parepare, Polmas, Bantaeng, Barru, Pangkep and Maros.

The alleged abuse had been conducted by staff at the schools, which ranged from elementary to senior high, over the last two years, Rusdin said.

"We have been verifying the data and are working out ways to minimize the abuse against students," Tompo said, adding that the data was gathered from recent investigations of teachers and school principles as well as surveys conducted by the Safari Team for Child Rights.

Rusdin said that the abuse affected students, aged between six and 18 years, who were sometimes instructed by their teachers or principals to clean school lavatories, pelted with hard objects, beaten up or even electrified.

"We assume that such violations have become common among teachers who think that it is part of the education system. But these violations are a denial of the rights of children. It is completely illogical to think that instructing students to clean lavatories and shocking them with electricity are acceptable forms of (educational) punishment," Rusdin said.

"Such methods of punishment could cause psychological impacts on the students," he said, adding that he had asked the schools in question for an explanation and was informed that was the way they punished errant or naughty students.

Legal advocacy would be likely as the quality and quantity of the abuse had been increasing, he said, adding that the agency was establishing a special team called Pioneers of Child Protection Cadres in various regencies.

The South Sulawesi provincial office of the National Education Ministry has yet to be informed about the violations.

Darwin, an office spokesman, said; "We have never received such reports but we'll seek more information about that. If the reports are true, further (legal) steps will be very possible."

He said that he had heard about student abuse in several schools, including Islamic boarding schools in the province. (27/sur)