Insufficient Socialization on the General Election for the Students

Students of senior high schools will also participate in the upcoming elections. Based on data released by the Department of Education (Depdiknas) and the Department of Religion (Depag),  there are 3,413,839 students in Senior High School (SMA) or Islamic Senior High School (MA), and 1.847.148 registered as students in vocational high schools (SMK). In Malang City itself, there are 19.322 students of SMA / MA and 25.135 students of SMK. In the second level, most pupils are approximately 17 years old, the minimum age to vote. And yet they do not understand either the system or the country's voting procedures very well. What does it mean?

Based on an interview with 30 students up to 17 years old in five colleges in Malang, only five of them (one is a son of legislative candidate) understand the election procedures and important elements in the upcoming elections. Some understand that they have to mark the ballot papers with pen, but they do not understand completely the elements should be chosen and the quantity of the ballot papers. Some of them even realized that presidential election will be held on April 9, not the legislative election. Three students stressed not to use their rights on April 9, since two students have no interest on it, and the other one has not found the proper legislative candidates.

The students wish on the socialization. Two students from SMA Widya Gama Novilia Aprilianti (18) and her schoolmate Sheila Fany (17) said, they really need the socialization. For them, it is necessary since how many legislative candidates will be participating on the upcoming election. "We really need to know the candidates," said Sheila. They underlined they are not bothered by national final exams for high colleges.

All the things happened on the socialization are caused by the minimum actions done by the local General Election Commission (KPUD) Malang City for the colleges. A month earlier, KPUD held the socialization involving only 26 colleges with 52 students, after targeted 100 students. In fact, in Malang City there are 70 private and civil senior high schools (SMA / MA) excluded 48 private and civil vocational high schools (SMK). Besides, the schools which located far from socialization are not involved yet, they are SMA 2 Yayasan Pendidikan Kristen dan SMA dan SMK Shalahuddin. School's headmaster of SMA 2 YPK Sugeng Armadi said, so far they get no invitation for socilization from KPUD Malang City even he acknowledges that they do really need the socialization. "It is also confusing for us. We are not sure on it, that is why take no action," said Sugeng.

A teacher on SMK Shalahuddin Bambang Supeno says the same. They also hope so much for the socialization, since in the upcoming general election the new voting method will be used. But he acknowledges, they could do nothing.

During these years education has been the political issues for the politicians in the bureaucracy as well as in the campaigning stages. We are waiting now, whether the result of this upcoming election could change their fates. Let us hope, the students will understand their political rights - no matter they will use it or not -conscientiously. (Any Rufaidah, Malang)