The Jakarta Post, May 31, 2002
West Jakarta students required to wear Muslim attire in school
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Brawls, robbery, and drug abuse are offenses now commonly committed by students.
And some teachers in West Jakarta are now hoping that forcing students to wear
religious attire and perform various rituals might be a quick solution to the chronic
problems.
"We make a good program in line with the West Jakarta mayor's instructions to oblige
students to wear Muslim attire and perform religious rituals to strengthen their
faithfulness and morality," said Ali Arsyad, the principal of state junior high school
SMP 229 in Kebon Jeruk on Thursday.
Ali referred to the West Jakarta mayor's instruction No. 101, 2001 on programs to
boost faithfulness and obedience toward God.
The regulation requires all West Jakarta students from all state elementary schools
and high schools to wear Muslim attire on Fridays and on religious days besides
performing various rituals.
Ali said the program aimed at providing physical conditions which were conducive to a
student's development in moral and religious affairs.
"We hope student brawls and other delinquent behavior can be reduced through the
program," said Ali.
Sujono, the principal of state senior high school SMU 73 in Slipi welcomed the
program.
"The program does highlight differences in the students' religions. But, through such
an obvious difference, the students may become more aware of their religious identity
so that they can be more serious in developing their faith and obedience toward God,"
said Sujono.
Sujono, however, admitted that the program needed to be continuously evaluated as
to whether or not it was effective in reaching its expected goals.
But Ardian, a student of SMU 73, lambasted the program which he said was more
nuisance than benefit.
"It is uncomfortable to see other friends wearing different attire just because they have
different religions from me," said Ardian, who is a Muslim student.
Ardian said that according to the regulation, Muslim male students must wear white
shirts without a collar, popularly known as baju koko with Islamic cap (peci) while the
Muslim female students must wear veils (jilbab).
The non-Muslim students, Ardian said, must wear their "own religious attire" including
a tie and normal uniform for a Christian student.
About 450 non-Muslim students and some 850 Muslim students study at SMU 73.
Ardian also said baju koko or jilbab, which were claimed to be Muslim attire, had
nothing to do with faithfulness and obedience to God.
"No guarantee that if we wear this 'Islamic attire', our faith will be stronger and
tougher," said Ardian.
Mochtar Buchori, an expert on education, said he was skeptical that the program
would be successful.
"That's not the way to implant morality in the students," Mochtar said.
Morality, Mochtar contended, was a "voluntary personal commitment to values," and
not simply "an obligatory obedience toward imposed norms".
Mochtar also said that morality should be implanted in students through the whole
education process. "Sports teacher could implant fairness in the students, while
teachers of maths could promote honesty, or a teacher of arts could endorse
compassion," Mochtar said.
"Responsibility for implanting moral values was the main task of all teachers whatever
their subjects," Mochtar said.
He said the program could be counterproductive as it would freeze moral values in a
subject on morality or even a subject on religious teaching.
"Should the program be proven counterproductive, it must be stopped as the cost paid
is much greater than the benefit," Mochtar said.
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