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Jakarta Post

School day should begin earlier

A policy proposed by the Jakarta city administration to begin the school day at 6:30 a

Deden Rukmana (The Jakarta Post)
Savannah, GA
Sat, December 20, 2008

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School day should begin earlier

A policy proposed by the Jakarta city administration to begin the school day at 6:30 a.m. instead of 7:00 a.m. has sparked public controversy. This policy suggestion, the goal of which is to reduce traffic congestion in the capital, would be at the expense of students.

The City Council rejected the idea and argued that the policy would not address the traffic problem. Meanwhile, the city administration predicted that the change would reduce congestion by 6 to 14 percent (The Jakarta Post, Nov. 27, 2008).

Opponents argued that this is just more evidence that the Jakarta administration is unable to overcome traffic congestion. Students would be required to wake up earlier and would be sleepy in class. Many would be tardy and classrooms would be empty in the morning if this policy was in effect.

Given the limitations of the Jakarta city administration to overcome traffic congestion, the policy to change the school start time should be considered creative and innovative. The public's reaction to this controversial policy should be anticipated by the city administration. The administration must implement this policy consistently, while still working to reduce congestion through other policies.

The capital's traffic problems, especially in the morning, would be only slightly reduced through this policy. Congestion during the peak hours would decrease because students would be traveling 30 minutes earlier.

The argument that this would reduce congestion by 14 percent is reasonable. Data Pokok Kependidikan (Primary Data of Education) from the Jakarta's Office of Secondary Education Directorate showed that in 2006, 1.75 million or 21 percent of the 8.3 million living in Jakarta were of school age between 7 and 18 years old.

The capital's congestion can't be separated from the high growth rate of vehicle ownership -- 9 to 11 percent per year -- which is not supported by the growth of road development, which is only less than 1 percent per year. The development of mass transportation system in the capital is still far from expected.

The busway special lane bus service can reduce the intensity of traffic on the city center's main roads, but it still has yet to untangle congestion in other parts of the capital. In addition, it is still not clear when the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) -- which has long been planned -- will be realized.

The high rate of vehicle ownership and the high urbanization in the greater Jakarta area is because not only is Jakarta the capital city, but also the country's economic and business center. Resolving its transportation problems must also consider developments occurring in neighboring areas.

Given the various limitations in overcoming traffic congestion through the development of mass transportation system and the high rate of vehicle ownership that is difficult to control, the plan to change school start time is an innovative and creative solution. It is better to implement this policy rather than to wait for the completion of the MRT or for more roads to be built.

In the early stages of its implementation, tardy students must be tolerated since the students and parents need time to adjust to the earlier time. Similarly, early morning public transportation needs to be available for the students.

In the next stage, the city would need to provide school buses as shuttle services. This would significantly reduce congestion because it would reduce the number of private vehicles previously used to transport the students.

Another alternative to consider is implementing school attendance zones (rayonisasi). This would limit students in their choice of schools. The priority would be given to those who reside near the school. This system would shorten the distance from the students' homes to their schools and would certainly reduce congestion.

In addition, the coordination of the schools provided within Greater Jakarta's municipalities needs to be strengthened. It is essential that good schools in the Jakarta suburbs are available which would then prevent parents in the suburbs from sending their children to better schools in the central city. This also would reduce the capital's transportation problems.

The writer is an assistant professor and coordinator of urban studies and planning at Savannah State University.

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