'Study curfew' a novel way to keep kids off the streets in Indonesia

On cue, children armed with backpacks file out of their homes and head to the village community hall. They whip out schoolbooks and pencils with one mission – to study.

“This is a call to my beloved children, that between 7pm and 9pm, the study curfew is in effect. May you become clever children, disciplined and focused,” Dadang yells through the loudspeaker at every 50 metres, as he is trailed by parent volunteers on study patrol.

This novel scheme to get children to hit the books began this month after Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo enforced a little-known district regulation, in place since 2006, requiring children to stay indoors and study.

The move was to curb a growing number of student brawls and keep children from loitering in groups along the streets at night.

The Jakarta municipal government’s head of education, Taufik Yudi Mulyanto, says the scheme is on trial in 10 districts and will apply to young people ranging in age from just seven to 18 years old.

For a country whose young people – those under 24 make up nearly half its 250 million population – are seen as a large draw for foreign investors, such grassroots moves are crucial in nudging children to adopt the studying habit early to eventually raise the quality of the workforce to meet demands of rising investments.

A World Bank report on education earlier this year noted overall improvement in access to education but that not enough of the poor are completing their primary education and the quality of education is still very low.

In this Jakarta village, parents like Yuli Zulaikah, 33, see the value of the study hours. She makes her daughter, Merlita, 12, stick to them.

The young girl is banned from watching her favourite television series or seeing her friends at night, following her recreational activities after school.

“Otherwise, these kids waste their time hanging out at the Internet kiosk nearby playing games or making a lot of noise doing nothing meaningful,” Yuli says during one of the night patrols.

“This way, my daughter is disciplined and the peer pressure from seeing everyone studying has a positive effect.”

As Dadang makes his call as he passes from house to house, television sets are turned off or muted, and children stifle laughter as they hurriedly bury their faces in books laid out on the bed or floor.

Children can choose to study in a common space or at home. Those caught not studying have to cough up a 2,000 rupiah (Bt5) fine.

“So far, I’ve collected no fines,” claims Dadang, adding, “we try the soft approach and persuade them first.”