Students Slapped For Smoking, Banten Provincial Government Intervenes To Disable Principals

Illustration - Vocational High School students wearing masks and carrying posters of requests to quit smoking. (ANTARA)

SERANG - The Banten Provincial Government (Pemprov) dispatched a team to clarify incidents of alleged violence by school principals against one of the students of SMAN 1 Cimarga, Lebak Regency, Banten.

This quick step was taken to ensure the truth of the incident, maintain order, and ensure that the teaching and learning process continues.

The Head of the Banten Province Education and Culture Office (Disdikbud) Lukman said the team had been deployed since last Tuesday to ask for information from students, teachers, and school committees. The government emphasizes the importance of objective and proportional completion.

"We have sent a team to SMAN 1 Cimarga to clarify students, teachers, and school committees," said Lukman, Wednesday, October 15.

According to him, the examination was carried out to trace the cause of the incident that had triggered the student's learning strike. Based on the initial report, the incident began with a warning from the principal to students who were found smoking behind the school.

"It happened starting from a warning to students who were caught smoking behind the school until there was tension. The principal admitted that he had patted the students, but we are still investigating it," he said.

To keep the school atmosphere conducive, the Banten Provincial Government temporarily suspends the principal concerned during the ongoing inspection process. Lukman ensured that there was no order to cancel schools and teaching and learning activities would still be carried out as usual.

"Schools are not closed. Today all my students ask me to come back in so that the learning process is not disturbed," he said.

He added that the results of the initial examination would be submitted to the Regional Personnel Agency (BKD) to determine the employment status of the principal. If found guilty, there will be sanctions in accordance with the disciplinary rules of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN).

"We did the initial BAP and the results will be submitted to the BKD to determine the status of the employees," he said.

However, Lukman emphasized the importance of enforcing rules in schools, including a smoking ban for students. He assessed that violations of these rules also needed to be dealt with with by coaching so that they would not be repeated.

It is also not justified if the school environment becomes a place for students to smoke. Students who violate will be reprimanded not to repeat their actions," said Lukman.

The prohibition of smoking in schools has been regulated in the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture Number 64 of 2015 concerning Non-Smoking Areas in School Environments, which prohibits principals, teachers, education staff, as well as students, from smoking, selling, or promoting cigarette products in school areas.

The Banten Provincial Government ensures that all handling is carried out professionally and according to applicable legal procedures. In addition to the internal examination by Disdikbud, this case is also being investigated by the police.

The government emphasizes that violence in any form cannot be justified, while discipline and exemplary remains the main foundation of the world of education.