Minister praises JIS kindergarten closure

JAKARTA. The Social Affairs Ministry says it supports the Education and Culture Ministry’s policy to close the kindergarten at Jakarta International School (JIS), following the alleged sexual assault involving one of its students.

Based on the policy, kindergarten students from the academic year of 2013-2014 are allowed to complete their academic year ended but the kindergarten is prohibited from receiving new students for the next academic year.

"Measures taken by the Education and Culture Ministry to close the school are proper enough,” Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri in Padang, West Sumatra, on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

The minister said classroom assistance was needed for students aged between 4 and 6 years. “Assistance is very crucial in the teaching and learning process of children of this age,” Salim said.

It is hoped that children that need it can have counselling. “There should be a healing process started so that they will not be traumatized,” said Salim.

A six-year-old kindergarten student was reported to have been sexually assaulted by several cleaners at the school. The case was reported to the Jakarta Police on March 24.

The police have questioned 11 witnesses, two of them – Agun Iskandar and Virgiawan Amin aka Awan – have been named suspects.

They are charged with violating Law No. 23/2002 on Child Protection with a maximum penalty of 15-years imprisonment.(ebf)