P2G Condemns Depok City's Eviction of Pondok Cina 1 School

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Association for Education and Teachers (P2G) on Sunday strongly criticized the Depok City administration’s attempt to evict the Pondok Cina 1 state elementary school (SDN). the association’s head of advocacy Iman Zanatul Haeri claims to have found evidence of the local administration committing ‘educide’ or genocide on education as city planning documents show fewer schools compared to before. 

“Our field finding as we visited the Pondok Cina 1 SDN shows that the Depok City government, local education agency, and their subordinates are involved in educide,” he wrote in a statement on January 15. 

An educide is known as a term to define efforts to destroy school facilities or buildings on a massive scale and have the potential to be widely replicated. He argues that this eviction will be conducted in more schools in Depok. 

His allegation is based on Circular No.421/123/KPTS/Disdik/Huk/2021 which contains decisions made by Depok City mayor Mohammad Idris in combining state elementary schools. 

The decree, said Iman, will see 246 state elementary drop to 221 schools, with some being merged with each other. He believes such acts will be dangerous for education. 

"People don't know the reason behind the merger. It should be conveyed honestly to the public, especially teachers, students and parents," said Iman. 

The Depok Mayor, in previous reports, plans to evict the Pondok Cina 1 elementary to convert the school land into a Grand Mosque. This plan, said Iman, seems to collide the need for public facilities with other public interests, namely the right to education for children.

MUTIA YUANTISYA

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