TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta provincial administration through Education Agency is planning an acceleration program for the development of 1,200 child-friendly schools or 60 percent of the total 4,629 institutions in the city. The program was considered effective to prevent violence or bullying acts in schools.

The agency head Ratiyono explained the city’s school facilities and infrastructure were adequate to generate a safe educational environment for children. However, training for human resources and the school system were required to develop more anti-bullying schools.

“So within the near future, all Jakarta schools will be safe for children,” said Ratiyono on Monday, April 22 as quoted from Tempo Newspaper edition of Tuesday, April 23.

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To date, the capital city has only 315 child-friendly schools on various levels. Hence, Ratiyono summoned all school parties or stakeholders, including school principals to undergo training for child-friendly educational systems. Each school was also demanded to follow other educational institutions that already become the pioneer.

The school system, he went on, would be implemented simultaneously starting this year, and the program did not require a special budget yet would use the school operational funds (BOS).

Ratiyono further expressed his optimism that all targets could be achieved because of a strong commitment from each school and parents. He said schools in Jakarta must be a barometer of the anti-bullying, child-friendly school in Indonesia.

AVIT HIDAYAT