Decree on earlier school hours set for Jan. 5, 2009

Agnes Winarti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 12/16/2008 11:10 AM  

The Jakarta administration will issue a gubernatorial decree to shift school hours 30 minutes earlier to address the city's chronic traffic congestion, Deputy Governor Prijanto said Monday. 

"We are still formulating the decree," Prijanto said. 

He said the decree would be issued by Jan. 5, when students of elementary and junior high levels return back to school after the December holiday. Starting that day, school children will have to arrive at school by 6:30 a.m. instead of the regular time of 7 a.m. 

Prijanto was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting to familiarize the heads of municipal and district education offices with the policy. 

Besides addressing traffic jams at the start and at the end of the school day, Prijanto said that waking up earlier would make the children more disciplined. 

"There are even schools -- including Taruna Nusantara in Magelang, Central Java, Taruna Andhika in Bogor, and Krida Nusantara in Bandung, West Java, as well as many other boarding schools -- that start as early as five in the morning. 

"So why are we afraid of waking up a bit earlier?" he said, adding that the military-based boarding school Taruna Nusantara was known for its academic achievements. 

"I cannot see how this policy will violate child rights. On the contrary it will help us shape a better generation." 

According to a seven-month survey held by the administration with a transportation engineering and management consultant firm PT Pamintori Cipta, students and teachers traveling to school contribute 14 percent to traffic congestion between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. in Jakarta. 

The survey also shows some 6.27 million trips, or 30 percent of a total of 20.7 million daily vehicle trips around the city, are trips taken from home to school. 

Ugi, a parent, said she started to see the positive side of the policy after the familiarization session. 

"But I am still concerned about the readiness of public transportation and school buses." 

Ida, another parent, said, "The regulation is quite good because my kids will be more disciplined. 

"It is quite hard to ask my kids to wake up earlier, but they will get used to it." 

Others, however, begged to differ. 

The principal of state elementary school No. 11 in Cipete, South Jakarta, Suyadi, said, "Many teachers live in the Greater Jakarta area, like Bekasi and Tangerang. It will be difficult for them to reach their schools before the students arrive." 

Prijanto said the administration would put 34 school busses back on the roads after locking them in garages in February this year. He also said the administration would procure more buses in the future, but he did not elaborate when or how many. (naf)