SMAN 1 Bantul Students Crying In Bathroom Allegedly Forced To Use Hijab, Ombudsman Will Check Religion Teacher And Homeroom

Illustration-Students wearing clothes equipped with hijab attributes when participating in teaching and learning activities in Banda Aceh/ANTARA

YOGYAKARTA - The Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia, Representative of DIY-Central Java, has scheduled the summons of two Counseling Guidance Teachers (BK), Religion Teachers, and homeroom teachers at SMAN 1 Banguntapan, Bantul Regency.

The summons was related to the alleged coercion of wearing a headscarf against one of the students at the school.

"Yesterday we have prepared a letter (call) for the BK, then the religion teacher, and homeroom teacher to attend to give an explanation at the Ombudsman (DIY) Office," said the Head of the Ombudsman Representative for DIY-Central Java, Budhi Masturi when contacted from Yogyakarta, Antara, Tuesday, August 2. .

According to Budhi, two BK teachers at SMAN 1 Banguntapan will be presented on Wednesday, while the religion teacher and homeroom teacher are scheduled for the following day.

Budhi said that the handling of the case began with a new grade X student of SMAN 1 Banguntapan, Bantul Regency, who cried in the school bathroom for an hour on Tuesday, July 19.

The DIY Ombudsman Team, which was currently monitoring PPDB at a local school, received the information and immediately asked the principal for an explanation.

"The principal invited his BK teacher and it was confirmed that there were students who had been crying in the school toilets for an hour, but his condition was already in the process of calming down at the UKS," he said.

At that time, the school informed that a student was experiencing family problems.

Later on Wednesday morning, the Yogyakarta Educational Community Alliance (AMPPY) together with the girl's parents reported that one of the tenth grade Muslim students of SMAN 1 Banguntapan Bantul, Yogyakarta was severely depressed because she was forced to wear a headscarf during the introduction to the school environment (MPLS).

The girl was also reported to have locked herself in her living room and was reluctant to talk to her parents

"So on Wednesday morning, her parents reported it. Because there was a communication (BK) via WA which indicated it had something to do with the use or summoning of the BK (against the student)," said Budhi.

Following up on the report, said Budhi, the Principal of SMA Negeri 1 Banguntapan, Bantul, Agung Istianto, was then asked for an explanation at the ORI Central Java-DIY Office on Friday, July 29 and admitted that he knew nothing about the case at his school.

The principal, according to him, admitted that he did not know much about the sequence of events because he did not receive a report from the BK teacher. Therefore, Budhi will ask for a more detailed explanation, directly to the BK teacher, religion teacher, and a homeroom teacher at SMAN 1 Banguntapan, Bantul regarding the alleged forced hijab on the student.

"We will ask for an explanation regarding their suspicion of summoning the student to the counseling room and then wearing the special religious clothes (hijab)," he said.

The four people, he said, would also be asked for an explanation regarding the initial series or previous related events that led to the alleged coercion of wearing the hijab.

"Actually, Tuesday was the peak, yes, but before that there had been incidents related to religious identity that made the child feel depressed," he said.

The DIY Ombudsman is still collecting data, documents, and explanations so that it cannot conclude whether or not there is maladministration in the school.

Budhi said that educational units must comply with Permendikbud Number 45 of 2014 concerning School Uniforms for Students at the Elementary and Secondary Education Levels.

"The Permendikbud is optional, yes, you can use it or not, so students are actually given a choice. On the other hand, if someone chooses to use it, it shouldn't be prohibited," said Budhi.