Wardiman defends 'initiation week'

Wardiman defends 'initiation week'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro refused yesterday to abolish the "initiation week" at state universities, after one student died while undergoing one of the introductions to campus life this month.

Wardiman described the death as an "accident" and said it should not be used to abolish a system which, he said, was still the best way of introducing first year students to the realities of college life.

"The system is already regulated but the implementation may not be adequate. This means we should improve the implementation but not abolish the system," he was quoted by Antara as telling reporters in his office.

Zaki Tiffany Lazuardian, 18 years old, a first year physics student at the prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology, died on Jan. 8 after taking part in a rigorous 12-day initiation period organized by the college's Department of Physics. He was hospitalized on his return on Jan. 7 and died in the hospital's intensive care unit.

At least two other students also had to be hospitalized and ITB's polyclinic reported that 176 first year students sought medical treatment during the week after taking part in the initiation week.

Wardiman said those who felt they have been victimized in orientation week or felt that the organizers had overstepped their bounds, could start legal action against the organizers.

He cited one rule of the "initiation week" which states that all activities must end at 22.00. "If something happens to the students after that, the organizers are responsible," he said.

He said the university administrators could also punish the organizers for violating the rules.

Several parents of the students who were hurt have called on the Ministry of Education and Culture to review the policy regarding initiation weeks at state colleges, with some saying that the program was used by senior students to avenge the similar treatment they had to suffer when they were "freshers".

ITB administrators have launched an internal investigation into the death, and the report that more than 100 first year students sought medical treatment. (emb)