Dozens Of Students Escaped From School Because Of Bullying, Gorontalo Education Office Deployed An Investigation Team

A number of cadets from Integrated High School Wira Bhakti Gorontalo who fled school while at the house of one of their colleagues on Friday (10/5). (ANTARA/Zulkifli Polimengo)

GORONTALO - The Gorontalo Province Education and Culture Office (Disdikbud) immediately dispatched a team to investigate allegations of bullying by students that occurred in the Integrated High School Wira Bhakti Gorontalo.

Head of the Gorontalo Province Education and Culture Office (Disdik) Rusli Wahjudewey Nusi said that regarding the incident, his party had not received any information from the Integrated High School Wira Bhakti.

"I haven't received any information about the incident, but we will send a team to collect data," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, May 11.

He said Integrated High School Wira Bhakti was a private school that was managed directly by the foundation.

According to him, cases of violence in the school environment can be handled by the Violence Prevention and Handling Team (TPPK) which was formed in every school.

Previously, on Friday (10/5) dozens of students who were cadets at the Wira Bhakti Integrated High School fled from school dormitories on the grounds that they were suspected of receiving bullying from seniors.

One of the parents of Sera said this after meeting the cadets who were riding in one of the houses of the students who also fled.

According to information from his daughter, who is one of the cadets, they ran away from the school dormitory at around 02.00 WITA or early Friday through the fence wall and then walked hundreds of meters before finally ordering transportation services to go to the house of one of his colleagues' parents.

"According to the statement of my son and his colleagues, they ran away from school because they could not stand the pressure or treatment of their seniors," said Sera.

As for the treatment they experienced, he said, these 10th grade students were often punished by sitting with their feet folded to their sides for a long time.

Another treatment experienced by students is that they are required to move quickly when summoned or ordered by their seniors. Even for fear of violating the senior-specified countdown limit, one of the students fell from the stairs causing serious injuries to the jaw.

Integrated High School Principal Wira Bhakti Marwan Potale said his party had taken preventive steps by allowing the cadets to return to their parents or families.

The school has not been able to draw conclusions regarding this issue, because the cadets are still being asked by their parents to return to their respective homes.

"God willing, on Sunday or Monday they will be escorted back to school by their respective parents. We will ask for information to confirm the actual incident," said Marwan.

The steps that will be taken by the school on this issue, depend on the process of examining students. However, his party is committed to resolving this issue professionally as soon as possible, with the hope that a similar incident will not happen again.