Cak Imin Expresses Concern Over Elementary Student Punished for Unpaid School Fees
Menteri Koordinator (Menko) Pemberdayaan Masyarakat, Muhaimin Iskandar or Cak Imin, expressed deep concern over an incident involving a student in Medan, North Sumatra who was punished by their homeroom teacher to sit on the floor during class hours for not paying school fees.
Cak Imin urged all private and public schools to communicate their issues to the government. He emphasized that President Prabowo Subianto is committed to addressing various problems faced by the people, especially in the education sector.
“It’s heartbreaking, to all private and public schools, please, if there are issues, inform the government, both local and central governments, and we will find solutions. There is no basic or secondary education problem that we will not solve,” Cak Imin stated in Jakarta on Saturday (1/11/2024).
The incident involved MI (10), a fourth-grade student at SD Yayasan Abdi Sukma in Medan, North Sumatra, being forced to sit on the floor for hours by their homeroom teacher named Haryati. The reason behind this punishment was the student’s three-month overdue school fees.
As reported by Tribun Medan, MI was prohibited from participating in classroom activities solely due to the unpaid fees. They were made to sit on the ceramic floor in front of their classmates from January 6-8, from morning until the end of the school day.
A video of the student sitting on the floor during class went viral on social media, sparking outrage among the public. MI’s mother, Kamelia, shared her distress at seeing her child in such a humiliating situation over an unpaid school fee amounting to Rp180,000.
Witnessing her child’s plight firsthand, Kamelia’s emotions overflowed. She was devastated to see her child, who walked to school early in the morning to seek knowledge, being treated like a beggar in front of their peers.
“I cried and screamed because from Monday to Wednesday, my child was made to sit on the floor from morning until 1 pm,” she expressed while at her residence in Medan on Friday (1/10/2025).
### School Reacts and Punishes Teacher
In response to the incident, the Chairman of Yayasan Abdi Sukma Medan, Ahmad Parlindungan, stated that Haryati, the homeroom teacher, will be temporarily suspended from teaching duties due to her actions.
The school administration has taken this step to address the issue and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future, prioritizing the well-being and dignity of all students.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of handling matters related to school fees and student discipline with sensitivity and compassion, emphasizing the need for effective communication between schools, parents, and the government to prevent similar occurrences.