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New school attire rule cause concerns of financial burdens, discrimination
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Elementary school students in a rural area in Indonesia pose for a photo.
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new ministerial regulation allowing regional administrations to govern traditional dress as school attire has raised concerns from parents and education experts over financial burden and discriminatory practices.
In an Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry regulation signed by Minister Nadiem Makarim on Sept. 7, regional administrations can regulate the use of traditional costumes for students to wear at school.
For Nandita Perdana, 41, a stay-at-home mother of three boys in Depok, West Java, buying a traditional costume as school attire would mean that she would have to set aside an additional budget.
She said that currently her eldest son, 9, was a fourth grader at a state elementary school (SDN) in Depok. When her eldest started to enroll in school in 2019, in addition to buying the national school uniform, scouts uniform and white pants, Nandita also spent about Rp 560,000 (US$ 36.19) for three kinds of uniforms to be used at school: a physical education uniform, baju koko (male Muslim attire) and a Depok-style batik shirt.
“I think it’s not necessary to make traditional dresses as [additional] school uniforms. Some schools advise students to wear traditional costumes of their choosing during Independence Day anyway,” Nandita said on Friday.
She said that parents have already spent money for their children’s various needs and activities, such as fees for extracurricular activities.
Nandita is worried that schools might even use the opportunity to make profit by selling traditional costumes as school attire, instead of focusing on issues actually relevant to teaching children.
