Don Bosco school apologizes

Panca Dharma Foundation, which manages Don Bosco elementary school in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, has apologized for taking discriminative action against a prospective student whose father is HIV positive.

The school said it would accept the girl as its student, having previously informed her parents via text message that she could not attend the school after learning that her father, Fajar Jasmin Sugandhi, was HIV positive.

“That was based on our unawareness and the way we delivered our message was incorrect. We feel ashamed and humbly apologize to Pak Fajar because this incident was based on our lack of knowledge,” the foundation’s manager Handi Pranata said on Monday as quoted by Kompas.com.

The foundation’s managers and the student’s father Fajar met to discuss the issue on Monday in the presence of the AIDS Commission.

Handi said the school planned to hold an HIV/AIDS workshop to develop a better awareness of HIV/AIDS among the school’s students, parents and teachers.

“The workshop will he held on Dec.13,” he said.

Fajar said he was satisfied with the foundation’s decision to admit its fault and apologize.

“They are extraordinary people because they have admitted that they were wrong,” he said.