Stop commercialising education, students urge government

The Jakarta Post 04 May 2018

Hundreds of students from various universities in Medan, North Sumatra, staged a rally last Wednesday to call on the government to stop what they call the commercialisation of education, writes Apriadi Gunawan for The Jakarta Post.

The rally – coinciding with National Education Day on 2 May– proceeded smoothly and without any violent incidents amid a tight escort of security personnel.

Rally coordinator Ikhsan Simatupang said the commercialisation of institutions of education and capitalist practices in the education sector had created difficulties for a growing number of Indonesian citizens to get a good education. Ikhsan asserted that the national education sector was divided into several social structures. “Poor people can access some schools, but there are also education institutions that can be accessed only by rich and middle-class people. This form of educational discrimination must be abolished,” Ikhsan said.
Full report on The Jakarta Post site

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