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View all search resultsParents heave sighs of relief on first day of school after enrollment woes
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Parents accompany newly enrolled elementary school children at a state elementary school in Tangerang, Banten, during the first day of the school year on Monday. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
S
chools in Greater Jakarta were once again packed with children after a nearly month-long break as the first day of the new school year began Monday.
The day was special for South Tangerang resident Iman Nugroho, who was beaming with pride as he dropped off his only son at a private junior high school in the morning.
“I am relieved. I’m proud that my family made it through all the hassles caused by the zoning system,” he said, referring to the central government’s enrollment zoning policy, which sparked protests from parents, students and education observers.
The policy stipulates that all state schools must prioritize enrolling students who live in their respective vicinities. The Education and Culture Ministry began to more strictly enforce the policy this year after it was launched in 2016, arguing it would boost the quality of state schools.
Last month, the zoning system forced parents to play the waiting game to obtain admissions documents for their schools of choice.
Iman and his wife faced such challenges. Imam explained that, at first, they had two state schools at the top of their list, both located within 1 kilometer from their house.
The first school rejected his son because their house is 900 meters away from the school – 200 meters too far, according to the zoning policy. The second school, located a bit farther, rejected his son because he did not have the minimum placement score.
