Teenagers in Indonesia’s far east have been spotted trudging around the city streets like zombies every morning on their way to school. Images shared on social media showed children walking down pitch-dark streets in their school uniforms, almost appearing like they are not fully awake. The reason is not a sci-fi movie-like situation but simply because they are sleepy.
According to an AFP report, the teens are part of a pilot project in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province where twelfth-graders have been asked to attend classes as early as 5:30 am.
The scheme was announced last month to strengthen discipline among high school kids. But parents have expressed concerns regarding their safety at such an early hour. They have also complained that children are "exhausted" by the time they get home, as per the report.
Schools in Indonesia generally start around 7 am or 8 am.
"It is extremely difficult, they now have to leave home while it's still pitch dark. I can't accept this... their safety is not guaranteed when it's dark and quiet," Rambu Ata, a mother to a 16-year-old, told AFP. Her daughter wakes up at 4 am every day to get ready for school.
The Kupang rule change was also challenged by some lawmakers, who called it “baseless” and demanded the government cancel it.
However, the government intends to continue their experiment and even extended it to the local education agency, where civil servants also now start their day at 5:30 am.
Rensy Sicilia Pelokilla, a civil servant at the agency, told AFP that starting early made her healthier as she can now join the group exercise sessions in her office that she once slept through. "As a civil servant I am ready to comply with the regulation and I'm going to do my best," she said.
