Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The government-backed Indonesian Commission for the Protection of Children (KPAI) has opposed the imposition of corporal punishment on children in schools, saying it is still rife in state-run schools, Islamic schools and Islamic boarding schools in East Java.
The issue was discussed Tuesday in a hearing between the protection commission and House of Representatives Commission VIII overseeing religious, social and women's empowerment.
East Java, home to hundreds of madrasah (Islamic schools) and pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) managed by Muslim national organization Nadhlatul Ulama, is one of several provinces in which the KPAI has been unable to establish a regional office.
KPAI chairwoman Sri Wuryaningsih said that the use of corporal punishment in schools could no longer be tolerated in the reform era. "Such a practice is not only against the 2003 Child Protection Law, but is also one of the worst forms of violence against children," she said.
She said that according to a recent survey conducted by the KPAI, general schools, Islamic schools and Islamic boarding schools in Surabaya and Probolinggo all commonly used corporal punishment.
"The KPAI has delivered a letter to the provincial administration to stop this practice," she said, adding that the use of military-style punishments would only introduce children to a culture of violence and help build violent personalities.
The KPAI is working with the Education Ministry, Unicef, Save Our Children and local communities to promote "child-friendly schools" and phase out violence against children.
The group has also been campaigning in Jakarta, East and West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, Papua, Maluku, North Maluku, West Kalimantan and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.
The KPAI also told the hearing that it was concerned by the booming child prostitution trade in Indonesia, blaming it on increasing poverty levels and consumption-driven lifestyles in urban areas.
KPAI data show that between 40,000 children and 70,000 children in 23 of 26 monitored provinces have been employed in prostitution.
In 2006, the KPAI received a total of 376 cases of violence against children, with most indicating the involvement of parents.
In order to provide special protection for children against abduction, trafficking and violence, the KPAI works with the police and the Attorney General's Office, along with non-governmental organizations.
Sri said that children were the group most vulnerable to natural disasters, poverty, labor dismissals, economic crises and domestic conflicts, and therefore all sides needed to build strong partnerships to minimize their negative impacts on children.