Cruel, Cruel Teacher

Although Indonesia has ratified the Children’s Rights Convention, some teachers continue to treat pupils harshly. Electric shocks were applied to three santris (Islamic school students) in South Sulawesi; one student in Central Java was hit so hard he had to be hospitalized.

November 13, 2000

Disciplining students and keeping them in line is a tough and often delicate business. Tweaking a student’s ear may be acceptable but using a ruler is a definite no-no. What about a hot spike? Unthinkable, you may say. But that’s the draconian device one teacher used to subdue a student in Central Java. When a pupil disobeys or disturbs the learning process in a classroom, it does not mean teachers have the right to act like law enfor

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