Bukittinggi Implements Schools 5 Days Starting September

ILLUSTRATION OF DOC BETWEEN

BUKITTINGGI - The City Government of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra began implementing a five-day school learning system in early September 2023 to strengthen student character with an important role for parents.

"It's true, so the discourse of schools for five days this week has been designed and prepared by including all parties. As many as 86 percent of parents agree," said Secretary of the Bukittinggi City Education and Culture Office, Jeki, as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 31.

The Bukittinggi City Education Office currently oversees 194 kindergarten, elementary and junior high schools with a total of 30,179 students.

Jeki said the five-day school program would be implemented in trials in the odd semester of 2023/2024 starting Monday (04/9) until it was evaluated later in December 2023.

"Starting from PAUD, TK, SD, SMP under the Bukittinggi City Government policy, this was carried out. The latest information we received was also applied to West Sumatra Province for SMA/equivalent and madrasas under the Ministry of Religion policy," he said.

He revealed that the implementation of five days of school was adjusted to the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 23 of 2017 concerning School Day.

According to him, elementary school students will study a maximum of 14.00 WIB so that they can still participate in recitation learning activities which become the daily routine of students in West Sumatra.

"Even other areas in West Sumatra such as Pariaman and Padang have already implemented it. Schools are five days different from full day. So for students who are also studying religion at TPQ (Earth Quran Education Park) and MDA (Mudrasah Hariyah Awaliyah) it will not be disturbed during the lesson hours," he said.

Jeki said that five-day schools are expected to form a child's character influenced by parents other than teachers at school.

"Education is not only the responsibility of the school, but also parents and family, it is hoped that one day on Saturday every week it can be the effect of the child's closeness in the family in shaping the child's character," he said.

He asked parents' supervision of their children not to make students dependent on cell phones when given excessive time at home.

"The phenomenon of children playing gadgets must be watched out for. We hope Saturday will be a full day between children and parents, how to teach children to see their parents working or other positive things," he said.

In addition, the five-day school program is expected to be able to support the economic improvement of the community at the weekend and support Bukittinggi as a tourist city.

"Controlling children is also a shared responsibility. There is a lot of time between children and parents, five days of school is a new breakthrough that has an impact on the formation of children's characters," he hoped.