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Dawn school trial for drowsy teens sparks outcry in Nusa Tenggara
It is not a scene from some cheesy sci-fi offering but a controversial experiment to get the day off to a much earlier start for the sleep-deprived teens.
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This picture taken on March 6, 2023 shows high school students walking to school early in the morning in Kupang. A pilot project in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province, has twelfth-graders at 10 high schools starting classes at 5:30 am.
(AFP/Eliazar Ballo)
E
very morning in a city in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), sleepy teenagers can be seen trudging zombie-like through the streets on their reluctant way to school.
It is not a scene from some cheesy sci-fi offering but a controversial experiment to get the day off to a much earlier start for the sleep-deprived teens.
The pilot project in the capital of NTT, has twelfth-graders at 10 high schools starting classes at 5:30 am.
Authorities say the scheme, announced last month by Governor Viktor Laiskodat, is intended to strengthen children's discipline.
According to parents, though, their children are "exhausted" by the time they get home. Schools in the country generally start between 7:00 and 8:00 am.
Teens in their school uniforms are now walking down dark streets or waiting for motorcycle taxis to get to school on time.
"It is extremely difficult, they now have to leave home while it's still pitch dark. I can't accept this... their safety is not guaranteed when it's dark and quiet," Rambu Ata, a mother to a 16-year-old, told AFP.
