"We, the representatives of seven student organizations grouped in the Bandung Student Movement, reject the bill," said the movement`s spokesman Aldi Febrian in a press conference held at Dago Park on Jalan Cikapayang here on Monday.
According to the spokesman, the movement rejected the entire bill, not merely certain articles.
He added the movement had analyzed the bill and identified five problematic aspects in it.
One of these problematic aspects, he noted, was that the bill pushed Indonesian education to enter the cross-border free trade.
Based on this provision, the Indonesian education sector would have to enter the international market scheme or be exposed to market mechanisms.
"Under the pretext of globalization, businesspersons are allowed to invest in the educational sector. This indicates that educational norms have faded away," he explained.
Another noteworthy point about the proposed bill, according to the spokesman, was that the government appeared to shun its responsibility towards developing the education sector.
"We fear that this will affect non-academic areas," he added.
The movement also feared that the bill, if passed into law, would threaten students` freedom of expression and assembly.
(Uu.S012/INE/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
