Entering the new academic year should be a joyful moment for students and parents. However, the reality on the ground is often quite the opposite, with educational institutions frequently trapped in commercial practices of selling uniforms at prices above market standards.
The Cakra Legal Aid Institute (LBH Cakra) strongly highlights this phenomenon as a practice that damages the dignity of education. These practices, which often hide behind the guise of school cooperatives or committee agreements, are considered a departure from the essence of education as an egalitarian and inclusive space for all segments of society.
The financial burden imposed on parents has the potential to create psychological pressure on students. When parents struggle to afford expensive uniform requirements, students often feel mentally burdened even before the learning process begins. This condition directly undermines the main goal of schools to create a supportive and equal environment for children's development.
Furthermore, the commercialization of uniforms poses a real threat to citizens' constitutional right to education. Restricting educational access through requirements to purchase specific uniforms can be categorized as a form of covert discrimination that prevents students from low-income families from pursuing their studies with confidence.
To address this issue, LBH Cakra urges relevant authorities, including the Education Office, to take concrete action. Necessary steps include enforcing strict sanctions against schools proven to engage in sales monopolies, allowing parents the freedom to procure uniforms independently, and redirecting the school's focus back to improving the quality of learning.
It is time to free the educational ecosystem from detrimental commercialization practices. Restoring schools as friendly and empowering spaces is a shared responsibility so that the future of the younger generation is not hindered by the burden of purchasing clothing attire that strains parents' wallets.
