Regarding the hijab obligation for students, the director of SMKN 2 Padang is ready to be fired

PADANG, KOMPAS.com – SMKN 2 Padang principal Rusmadi said he was ready to be fired if it was found that he had violated the pros and cons of the rules for wearing the headscarf for school students.

“If I’m wrong, I’m ready to be fired. But the government can take a look at the field first. What have we done,” Rusmadi told reporters on Monday (1/26/2021).

According to Rusmadi, there are 46 non-Muslim students at SMKN 2 Padang. A total of 19 were men and the rest women.

“Only one who refused to wear the hijab. The rest wore it without coercion,” said Rusmadi.

Also read: Non-Muslim students in Padang do not have to wear hijab, they should only dress modestly

Rusmadi explained that from the beginning his party had reminded all teachers and employees not to force non-Muslim students to wear the hijab.

Rusmadi did not think there was a misinterpretation of a statement from one of the deputy directors that went viral.

Rusmadi said the deputy principal’s statement was about the obligation to abide by the school’s rules, not the rules that require non-Muslim students to wear hijabs.

“The teacher’s statement on the video, the vice principal asked the school to obey the rules. It is not mandatory to wear a headscarf,” Rusmadi said.

Previously reported, the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) would impose strict sanctions against any perpetrator who is shown to have violated the rules in the educational unit (school).

This was after responding to the intolerance of a non-Muslim student who was asked to wear the hijab at SMKN 2 Padang, West Sumatra.

Also read: On the hijab obligations for non-Muslim students, Chairman of Commission X: We are concerned about intolerance

The Director General of Professional Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Wikan Sakarinto, deeply regrets the actions of SMKN 2 Padang that do not comply with these regulations.

“Provisions regarding student dress in schools have been regulated in a Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture,” Wikan said in a press release on Sunday (1/24/2021).