Indonesian govt's controversial decision to start schools at 5:30 AM receives backlash

Jakarta: In a bizarre experiment to instill discipline in the 12th graders, 10 high schools in Kupang, the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia are starting as early as 5:30 AM from past few months. To start the day off much earlier, the students are participating in a contentious experiment, which is receiving backlash from parents across the country, reports say. The plan, which Governor Viktor Laiskodat revealed last month, is reportedly intended to improve child discipline. However, parents assert that children are worn out by the time they get home. In Indonesia, classes typically begin between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. They now have to depart home while it’s still very dark, which is very difficult. I’m unable to tolerate this. When it’s quiet and dark, their safety isn’t assured, said Rambu Ata, a 16-year-mother, old’s to AFP. Eureka, her daughter, must now get up at 4 in the morning to get dressed and ride a motorcycle to school. Every time she gets home now, she is tired and falls asleep right away, according to Ata. In Indonesia, school typically ends around 3.30 p.m. According to Marsel Robot, a professor at Nusa Cendana University and an authority on education, there is no connection between it and efforts to raise the standard of instruction. The kids’ health and behaviour may change over time as a result of sleep deprivation, he warned. They won’t get much sleep, which poses a significant risk to their health. Additionally, this will make them anxious, and they will act out to release their anxiety. According to Indonesian news source Kompas, the central government has been requested to get involved in the trial, which has been going on since February. According to Kompas, the Indonesian Child Protection Commission and the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection have both called for a reconsideration of the policy. Middle and high school students should commence classes at 8:30 or later, according to a 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics study, to give them enough time to sleep Local lawmakers also protested the Kupang regulation change, calling on the administration to reverse what they deemed to be an unjustified policy. Despite the criticism, the local government has continued the experiment and even expanded it to include the local education office, where employees now begin their days at 5:30am. A civil servant in the agency, named Rensy Sicilia Pelokilla claimed that starting sooner had improved her health because she now has to participate in group exercise sessions in her office that she used to skip. Pelokilla declared, “As a civil worker, I am prepared to abide by the law and I’ll do my best. (With inputs from agencies) Read all the Latest News, Trending News,  Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.