Violence against students on the rise

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)