Polemic Changes In School Entry Hours In NTT: Extreme Ways To Pursue Education Quality Implementation

There are 4 schools in NTT that have priority education, one of which is SMA Negeri 1 Kupang. (SMAN 1 Kupang)

JAKARTA The implementation of changes in school hours from 07.00 WITA to 05.00 WITA in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has drawn polemics. Sociologist from the University of Indonesia, Yosef Hilarius Timu Pera, believes that this change will certainly have an impact on other behaviors.

It's too early to start school time even though it is only applied to students of General and Vocational High Schools.

"If the child enters at 05.00 WITA, it means that parents must also be ready two hours or one and a half hours earlier. To prepare breakfast, snacks, so that when leaving the child's stomach is not empty," said Yosef to VOI on February 28, 2023.

If there is a household assistant, it may not be a problem. However, if not, this is a tough challenge for parents, especially for parents who work as employees," Yosef continued.

Not to mention the condition of children as students. According to Yosef, don't equate it with boarding schools, such as students in seminary or Islamic boarding schools

"If boarding school is a total institution, children live in dormitories. Not affected by parental parenting, schools can apply their own rules. However, public schools, this is related to other activities," he said.

Even so, said Yosef, it does not mean that he refuses, especially the goal is good for disciplining children. However, it is better to adjust the implementation of changes in school hours.

"At 06.00, I think it is more acceptable. Of course, with the trial stage within a certain period of time, and evaluated. If it is a bit extreme at 05.00," said Yosef.

Chairman of the Board of Experts of the Federation of Indonesian Teachers' Unions (FSGI) Retno Listyarti said the same thing. Changes in school hours will certainly have an impact on other instruments, including transportation and child safety when heading to school.

Has NTT Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat prepared supporting factors? Because, from the results of the poll conducted by FSGI, many parents and teachers complained and disagreed.

Mainly, regarding child safety, transportation is difficult in the morning. If it enters at 5, the previous hour the child must be ready to escalate. Other factors also regarding the readiness of parents at home such as providing breakfast, and various health considerations for children," said Retno in a written statement received by VOI on February 28, 2023.

The Federation of Indonesian Teachers' Unions (FSGI) also asked the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government to reconsider the policy.

Another impact that is a concern is also about the child's sleep schedule. Sleep is a necessity, equivalent to other basic needs such as eating and breathing. When you sleep, the body will improve, both physically and mentally, so that a person feels fresh and energetic when waking up and ready to undergo activities.

If it is disturbed, it will affect the health and brain growth, ultimately it will also affect their learning achievements.

Studies prove children who lack rest tend to have an unstable, irritable, difficult to concentrate when doing something and experience a decrease in learning skills at school.

"Not only for now, his learning skills in the years to come can also be affected," said Retno.

Ideally, children need about 8-10 hours of sleep every day. This is important for children's growth and development until the age of 18.

"On that basis, we ask the NTT Provincial Government to reconsider the policy because it is very dangerous for children's growth and development, it should be canceled because it does not side with the best interests of children," FSGI Secretary General Heru Purnomo added.

Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat assumed that the policy for schooling hours was at 05.00 WITA to catch up with Human Resources in NTT. Only focus on SMA Negeri 1 Kupang and SMA Negeri 6 Kupang.

Apparently, in the process there were ten other schools that were ready to follow the policy.

"Yes, just try it. We are also still waiting for a report from the Head of the Service regarding the ability of the students to participate in other schools. However, for SMA 1 and SMA 6, we will continue," he told the media crew at the GMIT Sinode Center hall on February 28, 2023.

With the change in school hours, Laiskodat hopes that more graduates of SMA Negeri 1 Kupang and SMA Negeri 6 Kupang will be able to enter a number of well-known universities in Indonesia such as the University of Indonesia and Gadjah Mada University, or even break into Harvard.

"Of course, along the way, we will also conduct an evaluation. Security, public transportation, street lighting will get attention. We will cooperate with the police to continue the policy," he said.

In essence, the NTT Provincial Government is serious about building education in order to create a superior generation capable of becoming a future leader and bringing Indonesia into a developed country. Moreover, 50 percent of the NTT APBD is allocated to the NTT Education and Culture Office.

Everyone has to work with love. Without love, education in NTT will not progress.

"We are too far behind from other regions, so we can't work in an ordinary way," Laiskodat said during a visit to the NTT Education and Culture Office.

"I ask for the quality of education to be properly considered and supervised. Likewise with other things, starting from the education office, managers and persons in charge of each field of education, especially those related to the quality and quality of education," Laiskodat continued.

Regarding the pros and cons of the policy of change, Laiskodat said, it's normal, 'There is no change in this world without any pros and cons.'

In fact, the success of education mainly depends on the quality of teachers or teachers. Facilities and infrastructure, such as curriculum and implementation of lesson hours, are only technical problems.

So, if the goal is to produce a superior generation, the most important thing will certainly improve the quality of teachers. Currently, according to Wangsih Mutiar Fitri Dewi, teachers are usually always busy equipping themselves with academic abilities or hard skills, sometimes they forget to develop their personality and social competencies or soft skills.

No wonder, the personalities of the teachers are prone to various diseases. Such as THT (transport count carpentry), hypertension (problems for certification), kudis (lack of discipline), and asthma (original entry).

Then, constipation (always lazy to read the literature), gout (original teaching, inaccurate), lubricant (lack of strategy), garap (less neat preparation), warts (less skilled, nausea (very weak), and gaptek (technology stuttering).

"Personality is related to attitude and has an important role in the educational context. Among knowledge, skills, and attitudes, it is the attitude that determines everything," Wangsih wrote in his book 'A Teacher' Credit.

People who have a positive attitude always see opportunities, while people who have a negative attitude always see difficulties in every event. Likewise, teachers, it will be good if they always use positive glasses in every action they have, both in dealing with students, fellow teachers, and their duties as educators.

Because educating is not forcing will. Educating is to create an environment that makes students feel thirsted, thirsty for science.

That's why, not only academics, teachers must also have a defetus, optimistic attitude, discipline, respect, humor, friendly, flexible, inspiring, gentle, responsive, and fourfold.

"So, teachers can create conditions and situations that allow children to develop their potential," added Wangsih.