Indonesian children made to start school at 5.30am to improve discipline

A controversial Indonesian experiment of starting school at 5.30am has prompted widespread outrage. 

Parents of children in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province, say their children are “exhausted” by the time they return home after waking up at dawn. 

Twelfth-graders at ten different schools are part of the pilot scheme introduced by governor Viktor Laiskodat to increase children's discipline.

Schools in Indonesia usually start between 7 and 8am. 

Children have been spotted walking down dark streets and waiting for motorcycle taxis to get to school on time.

"It is extremely difficult, they now have to leave home while it's still pitch dark. I can't accept this... their safety is not guaranteed when it's dark and quiet," Rambu Ata, a mother to a 16-year-old, told AFP.

Her daughter Eureka now has to rise at 4.30am and take a motorbike to school in order to arrive on time. 

"Now every time she arrives home, she is exhausted and falls asleep immediately because she is so sleepy," Ms Ata added.