Semarang Education Office Instructs Schools Not To Hold Graduation

ILLUSTRATION OF UNSPLASH/Joshua Hoehne

SEMARANG - The Semarang City Education Office instructed schools, from kindergarten (TK) to junior high school (SMP) not to hold graduation graduations at the end of the school year.

The instruction is regulated in Semarang City Education and Education Circular Number B/420/VI/2023 dated June 6, 2023 which applies to early childhood education (PAUD) students, elementary schools (SD), and junior high schools.

Acting (Plt) Head of the Semarang City Education Office, Bambang Pramusinto, in Semarang, Central Java Tuesday, said that he received many complaints from parents who objected to the separation graduation event at the equivalent kindergarten, elementary, junior high and high school levels.

"In addition to complaints about the cost of graduation which is considered luxurious, parents also complain because they still have to think about the costs for further education," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, July 4.

Therefore, Disdik then instructed schools not to hold graduation activities to celebrate student graduation.

The socialization of the policy has also been carried out by the Semarang City Education Office to various schools in Atlas City.

He explained that the SE Disdik was in line with the SE Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Research and Technology Number 14 of 2023 regarding the graduation procession, considering that the graduation ceremony was considered excessive when it was held at the hotel and had to spend a lot of money.

Not only regulating the graduation procession, according to Bambang, the SE he signed also instructed schools not to require students' parents to buy uniforms at school.

According to him, the instruction was issued because several public schools still require new students to buy uniforms from schools.

"From our side, we have issued instructions to schools not to (mandatory, ed.) buy uniforms for new students at schools," he explained.

The obligation to buy uniforms, said Bambang, will be burdensome for students who come from economically poor families.