Amir Tejo, Surabaya – Activists on Friday demanded that East Java education office chief Harun revoke his statement that pregnant students would be barred from participating in next week's national exams.

"As a public servant, what [Harun] said will of course be followed by his subordinates. Therefore we demand [Harun] to withdraw his statement," said Sinung Kristato, coordinator of the East Java Network Concerned about Education, an umbrella group of 25 nongovernmental organizations in the province.

Barring students from participating in the exam, he said, would violate children's constitutional right to receive an education, as well as violate Indonesia's National Education Law and the Law on Child Protection.

"Besides violating the law, this policy is also discriminatory. Is it true that because [a student] is pregnant her morality is questionable?" he continued.

"In most cases, they are victims of rape. The restriction on pregnant student taking the test will only encourage them to get abortions to avoid detection. This will create more problems."

According to the Surabaya education office, there are two pregnant high school students and one in junior high school who are preparing for the exams.

Isa Anshori of the National Education Council, a government body with oversight on education, said the national government was happy for the three to take the test. "But after this statement [from Harun] they became worried," she said.

Isa said the council assured the students that it will fight for their rights and that the three have continued to prepare for their exams.

The students' respective schools, Isa said, had agreed to disregard Harun's remarks and follow the national-level policy of allowing all students to sit the test. "The schools have agreed to cooperate, despite the remarks from the education office chief," she said.

On Friday, Harun tried to diffuse the situation, saying that no damage had been done since the statement was oral and not a written instruction to schools.

"I have never issued a written instruction to education officials at the district or city levels," he said. "The national exam has its own technical guidelines. There are no such restrictions."

Sinung, who also chairs the East Java Children's Protection Organization, said that although Harun had not issued an official regulation barring pregnant students from taking the test, a compulsory requirement to graduate from school, his oral statement on the matter was highly inappropriate.

Sinung highlighted several media reports carrying Harun's statements, in which the official failed to clarify his position.