A kindergarten principal in Indonesia was removed from her role after supervising a controversial Independence Day parade.
Last week, the school’s kindergarten students were dressed in ISIS-style outfits of black robes and niqabs, carried props resembling assault rifles and made to march in the parade.
Photographs and videos of the parade went viral on social media, with netizens accusing the school of teaching radicalism to its young pupils. The organisers were highly criticised, with some saying it was promoting violence.
The principal of Kartika V-69 kindergarten, Suhartatik, has since been transferred to the role at the city’s Education, Youth and Sports Agency.
The kindergarten and the principal have since apologised after the images surfaced and sparked outrage.
“I never meant to teach violence to my students,” Suhartatik said. “We only used the props that we already had to cut costs for parents. I deeply apologise.”
The costumes had been used in previous parades in a different context, she added.
The principal has admitted to neglecting her duties in connection with the parade, particularly in not consulting the city’s education agency or the military organisation in charge of the school. The kindergarten is under the supervision of a military command organisation in Probolinggo, a city in East Java.
Suhartatik stated she had no intention of committing any misconduct and that the parade was solely for entertainment, reported the Jakarta Post.