http://insideindonesia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1096&Itemid=47
Brutal lessons
A culture of violence in schools makes life tough for kids
Sharon Bessell
Bullying is widespread in the Indonesian education system
FJX (FOTOGRAFI) Jurnalistik (Kampus) Universitas Atma Jaya
Yogyakarta
I met 13 year old Ari when I was in Jakarta in 1995 interviewing children
about school. When I asked him why he had dropped out of school, he shrugged
and said 'I guess I'm just stupid.'
Yet after getting to know Ari more, and talking about his experiences of
school, it became clear that he had not dropped out because he was stupid - he
was far from stupid. Rather, he had dropped out because he grew tired of being
humiliated and yelled at by teachers and pushed around by other children.
Violence, bullying and disrespect were at the heart of Ari's decision to drop
out of school. It seemed the only sensible course of action open to him.
More than a decade later, Indonesia has changed in ways that could barely
be imagined in 1995. Yet some things still seem to be the same. Violence in
schools remains a major problem - a problem many children are forced to deal
with on a daily basis.
Bullying and hazing
Violence in schools and among students periodically captures local or
national media attention, and when there is violence between groups of youths,
public concern often escalates. In 2007, for example, the story of an 18 year
old Jakarta high school student forced to leave school due to repeated episodes
of bullying, including beatings, briefly made headlines. Another case to grab
the spotlight in 2007 was that of Cliff Muntu, a 19 year old who died from a
severe beating carried out under the euphemism of 'hazing'. Hazing, the abuse
and humiliation of fellow students, often as part of initiation into a group,
has been a serious social problem in Indonesia for some time.
Children were beaten, forced to kneel for long periods, hit with an
implement and had their ears twisted in some common forms of punishment
Beyond the individual stories that get media attention, there is
increasing evidence that violence is widespread in Indonesian schools. Recent
studies suggest that bullying is but one manifestation of a broader context of
violence. Another is the use of severe and often arbitrary forms of punishment.
Violent punishment
Within Indonesian schools, violence and discipline often merge. Violent
punishment is frequently used in place of non-violent forms of discipline. A
2005 Save the Children Sweden study found that children in the research sites
of Maluku, North Maluku and West Timor were beaten, forced to kneel for long
periods, hit with an implement and had their ears twisted in some common forms
of punishment.
Interestingly, the study showed that the children viewed violent forms of
punishment as inappropriate, harmful and often counterproductive. Children in
West Timor suggested alternatives to violent punishment. As a punishment for
fighting with other children - an offence that is often met with a beating -
children suggested that they be made to draw or write a short story on the
topic 'what are friends for'. Rather than receiving an automatic beating for
being late to school, children suggested that they be given the opportunity to
explain why they are late.
Children also told the researchers that when they failed to complete
their homework they were often forced to kneel for long periods, or were hit. A
more effective alternative, they suggested, would be to revise homework
questions so that children could better understand the task being asked of
them. Children's responses give us insights not only into the forms of violence
used, but the broader culture and power hierarchies that are at play within
many schools.
Culturally, violence is still seen as an effective way of enforcing
discipline and educating a child
The study indicated that children are exposed to violent forms of
punishment within school (and also at home) from a young age. While there are
no studies in Indonesia to suggest a causal link, there are quite obvious
questions about the relationship between children's socialisation into violence
through punishment and later activities such as bullying and hazing.
The policy framework
In recent years, child protection has received greater attention within
Indonesia's policy framework. The Indonesian Constitution, following the 2002
amendments, entitles children to protection from all forms of violence. The
2002 Law on Child Protection confers the right of children to be free from
violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and injustice (Article 13) in all areas
of life. Article 54 of that law refers specifically to children's right to
protection from violence and abuse within the school. In a sharp departure from
earlier laws, particularly the 1979 Child Welfare Act, the 2002 Law on Child
Protection directly addresses issues of violence and provides a legislative
foundation for preventative measures and rights-based responses. Yet this
rhetorical commitment to ending violence within schools is yet to be matched by
practical commitment, including the allocation of resources.
The role of teachers
Children view violent forms of punishment
as counterproductive
Kristen Stokes
Teaching is a low-paid, under-valued occupation in Indonesia. Teachers
regularly take on additional work in order to supplement their incomes. Class
sizes are often large, buildings in a poor state and teachers under-trained and
under-resourced. In such circumstances it is perhaps not surprising that
teachers resort to violence and aggression. A key recommendation of the Save
the Children Sweden study was the provision of more training and support to
teachers to assist them in developing and using non-violent forms of
discipline.
Similar sentiments have been expressed at the highest levels of policy
making. The widespread use of severe punishment was highlighted at a 2006
seminar on 'Child Friendly Schools', hosted by the Ministry of Education,
UNICEF, the Indonesian Commission on Child Protection and Save the Children UK.
At the time, the Minister for Education, Bambang Sudibyo, was quoted as saying
'culturally, violence is still seen as an effective way of enforcing discipline
and educating a child. It is critical to train teachers in preventing and
avoiding violence, including alternative ways of using discipline, stress
management, and measures to protect children.' In practice, however, the
teacher training curricula in general fail to deal adequately with issues of
class management and discipline. Many teachers, of course, play a central,
supportive and caring role in children's lives. But teachers generally remain
without adequate - or any - training that will assist them to create a learning
environment that does not revolve around the use of punishment, sometimes in a
violent form.
Where to?
The education system remains a subject of intense debate in Indonesia,
from the controversy surrounding the religious education requirements in the
2003 National Education System Bill, to the high cost of sending children to
school, and the quality of education received by many Indonesian children.
Within these debates and the politics that surround them, the problem of
violence within schools should be a paramount concern.
The rhetorical commitment to ending violence within schools is yet to
be matched by practical commitment
Unless violence is addressed through both public and political commitment
- accompanied by the careful allocation of resources - the value and purpose of
education must come into question. What role does education play when children
are forced to cope with violence on a daily basis, and when children like Ari
have no choice but to walk away from school? ii
Sharon Bessell ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) is a senior lecturer in the Crawford
School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University. The
Save the Children Sweden study investigated children's and adults' experiences
and views of physical and emotional punishment in nine countries. The report,
What Children Say, is available at www.scswedenseap.org
See also Campus cruelty by Akhmad Joko Purnomo (ii-edition 82)
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