Report: Indonesian Authorities Enforce Video Game Ban During Homework Hours

May 5, 2008
According to a report on The Impudent Obersver, police in one Indonesian municipality will be enforcing a ban on videos games and TV during a two-hour evening period designated for children to do their homework:
The municipality of Bekasi... [is] ordering all students within its jurisdiction to study and do their homework or face legal consequences...  The new regulations require students, from elementary school to high school, to study between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. either at home alone or with classmates from the same neighborhood. During study time, no TV or video game will be alowed and students will be banned from going to the mall or entertainment centers.

[Eductaion chief] Kodrato said his adminsitration would empower neighborhood heads and police personnel to enforce the regulations. Bekasi was inspired to institute the new policy after hearing it has been in operation in the municipality of Yogyakanta since 2003.
Buzz It

Comments

Re: Report: Indonesian Authorities Enforce Video Game Ban

Submitted by Insanity Prelude (not verified) on Sun, 05/25/2008 - 20:56.

I lol'd at the Death Note comment.

I take a video game... and BAN IT!

 

okay I'm done now. Seriously though, this is scary... but they'll figure out it's impossible to enforce. Right? god, politicians are stupid in *every* country. :/

Submitted by Sean (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:18.
Well we all know that the government raising other people's kids never turned out bad, look at how Nazi Germany turned out. /sarcasm

Submitted by Tonkarz (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:27.
Argh, this is typical of a bad idea. If you want someone to do something, encourage them to do that thing instead of telling them not to do some other thing. If they didn't want to study before this new law isn't going to change their minds.

Submitted by Werrick (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:28.
"[Eductaion chief]"

lolz...

Sorry Dennis, there's something funny about that particular word having the typo... :-p

Submitted by Jonnyboy (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:29.
WATCH OUT BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING!!!!!

Submitted by Lovely (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:29.
0_o This story is pretty creepy....

Submitted by InsidiousMrMoo (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:31.
So from 7 to 9 they will have kids pretending to study? I'm sorry if you told me I had to study between 7 to 9 I would go to my room, turn out the lights and go right to sleep.

Submitted by Werrick (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:33.
@InsidiousMrMoo

I used to go up, close the door and read comics.

Submitted by Canary Wundaboy (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:35.
Do they issue their 'officers' with swastikas and jackboots, you know, for authenticity?

This story gave me shivers....

Submitted by TheRoosterRngr (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:35.
Shit! Don't let Tommy boy hear about this one, that might be his next campaign against the industry! Then he will move to make any time study time! :-S

Submitted by OliOfQC (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:39.
try this where I live and there will be riots on the streets. Riots in which I will participate. The governement is rotten and should mind his own business.

Submitted by ZombieHunter (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:41.
And I thought I was living in a nanny state.

Submitted by Dan (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:42.
2 hours isn't unreasonable. I was a horrible student who never got my homework done and got through HS by the skin of my teeth due to my lousy attention span. But government enforcement is still excessive.

Submitted by Demontestament (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:43.
They should know you cannot force a kid to study. No matter what you threaten the kids will just stare blankly at the book they are "Studying" for the two hours turning the page every few minuets making it look like they are studying.

Submitted by CenturionRyan (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:44.
You've got to be kidding.

Soon they'll be packing people into crates and throwing them in a river. Today the Inonesian children tomorrow the world? Freedom, Homework and Bread?

This can only bring about bad things.

Submitted by TBone Tony (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:47.
What about if the kids already did their homework during the school day???

Submitted by Vladimir (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:50.
That's ridiculous. I feel sorry for those poor kids.

Submitted by Helpless Doom (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:51.
next will be camps to go study for few hours. then they will only let them study what they wrote. and burn the rest

Submitted by Mythgarr (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:58.
Let's see - large group of kids with 2 hours to spend forced to choose either independent study or "study time" with fellow classmates indoors? Oooh! I know this one! Doesn't it end with them all getting knocked up and/or hooked on D&D?

Submitted by Tom90deg (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 11:00.
Waaait...how will they enforce this? Knock on every door and demand proof that they're studying?

And Mythgarr, what's wrong with D&D? :-D

Submitted by Werrick (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 11:01.
@Mythgarr;

Best comment ever.

Congratulations, you win at internet.

Submitted by BreadCultist (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 11:07.
This is not really much of a step further than compulsory state-approved schooling.

Submitted by Saddened (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 11:33.
Obviously this country no longer has any after school sports or music programs… since the grand majority of all performances / football games occur right at 7:00. This isn’t just an attack against kids, it’s an attack against creativity, sportsmanship, and the arts.

Submitted by Josh (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 11:43.
Was this law written by Obama?

Submitted by Jonathan, aka Soul (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 11:48.
Damn thought police >_>.

Submitted by Video Game Otaku (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 11:56.
You know...if Kira is living in this place...its only going to make it easier for him/her to write in the Deathnote (flash back to the "Dramatic Chip-Eatting/Homework scene.) >=D

Submitted by Video Game Otaku (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 11:58.
Seriously tho, this really is a bad bad BAD Idea, how many kids are actually going to study during this time? "Study or you will go to jail." I would probably NOT study outta principle...I forsee riots and protests and many problems ahead...

Submitted by Rodrigo Ybáñez García (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 12:06.
I think that maybe they don´t have any crimes or something, if they have the resources to be checking what children do in their free time.

Submitted by linenoise (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 12:08.
Holy crap.. what about teaching kids time management?? Maybe they're better at studying from 9-10? Or 5-7? At best you'll raise a generation that can't think for themselves, but more likely a generation that rebels against doing anything they're told!

Submitted by Twin-Skies (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 12:09.
"During study time, no TV or video game will be alowed and students will be banned from going to the mall or entertainment centers."

Doesn't say anything about not going to strip joints. :)

Submitted by go fish (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 12:20.
wonderful picture

Submitted by Master Fink (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 13:05.
Scary and unfair, but...

study and do their homework or face legal consequences…

Fucking hilarious.

Submitted by kurisu7885 (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 13:40.
If anything this is gonna force grades down

Cram sessions don't work usually as it can overload the brain, and that's all I see here, government enforced cram sessions

Submitted by Gordon Frohman (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 13:59.
@videogameotaku

Deathnote refernce for the win!

Submitted by jadedcritic (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 14:13.
I'm curious how they plan on enforcing this. What happens when a sadistic teacher decides to assign "must watch (insert documentary)" for homework? Are they gonna have cops peeping into people's windows looking for lit TV's?
And is indonesia really so fortunate that they don't have more serious crimes to be on guard for??

Submitted by Overcast (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 14:45.
Hmm, for a long time - while I was in school at least younger - I never had video games to play..

Yet.. I still didn't do my homework, lol

Submitted by GRIZZAM 512 (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 14:47.
Fucking Indonesian government...

Submitted by Alex (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 15:12.
Well, that doesn't like a police state at all...

Submitted by hungry_zealot (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 15:59.
How is this going to be enforced? Will they have cops sneaking around and peeking in windows, or will it be up to all adults to keep a watch out? I can see them being able to enforce no malls or entertainment centers, but home entertainment? Will they be going door to door and making sure the child is staring at a book?

Submitted by Christian Astrup (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 16:12.
Drop that game controller! Do this book report on Orwells "1984" instead...

Submitted by Stu (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 16:25.
While this bad. This is not comparable to an Owellian 1984 state. So stop saying it no thought police or nothing. 1984 was about the control of thought. While in this situation they are telling kids what to do they are not forcing them to think in a certain way.

Submitted by JustChris (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 16:26.
So they're placing a law into effect that cannot be enforced by any practical means...real smart, guys. Think of the children, yeah, that's important, but first THINK OF THE LOGISTICS! So right now the law seems to be little more than a suggestion for parents.

The only thing that the government can directly control is TV programming, like the Telecom act passed by the US. That can influence a kid's watching habits. But kids will be kids and they can figure out other ways to kill time.

Submitted by BrandonL337 (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 16:36.
@Werrick
Seconded

Submitted by BrandonL337 (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 16:40.
@Stu

Two Words... Slippery Slope

Submitted by JustChris (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 16:57.
@ BrandonL337

Every slope still has its valley at the end. It's just an issue of knowing where that slope will end.

Submitted by chadachada123 (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 17:12.
Yeah...next they'll start to control what times students come home, where they can go, then extend it to adults, take away private gun ownership (if it's still there even)...and straight into an Orwellian state...sounds like a good plan!

Submitted by Loudspeaker (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 18:20.
Right on!

7 PM to 9 PM every night... Anatomy and sex ed! Woot!

/Sarcasm

Epic failure in law. It's worthless unless you can enforce it.

Nice way to make the gov't the parent. Let's make a generation of losers that must be told what to do at every point in their life. Brilliant.

Submitted by BrandonL337 (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 18:43.
@JustChris

It may eventually stop but that doesn't mean anything unless you can climb back out

Submitted by Michael (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 19:04.
This coming from a country with history of oppression in Aech, West Papua and what was East Timor. Don't forget that this is a country that pays only lip-service to freedom.

Submitted by Nith (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 19:52.
There is a time to study and a time to play games. If the youngsters in that area don't understand the concept, that's ok....there's always a french fry cook position open at the local McDonalds and Burger King.
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
Andrew Eisen: That article is over five years old, Uncharted. A fun blast from the past though.02/12/2012 - 10:47pm
Uncharted NES: Critics: 'Left Behind' game glorifies violence- http://tinyurl.com/wu64s02/12/2012 - 4:34pm
Zen: I felt Brutal Legends was a funny & beautiful look at the world of rock from Double Fines point of view. The only parts I wasn't hot for were the RTS bits as it felt forced. Otherwise fantastic.02/12/2012 - 1:34pm
DorthLous: Passed 1.5M$. And I'd also say that Brutal Legend is far from being a bad game. I just think it was a few levels under what people expected from the people working on the project.02/11/2012 - 8:25am
Technogeek: Brutal Legend wasn't bad so much as "marketing had no idea how the game actually played", causing it to suffer accordingly.02/10/2012 - 10:38pm
RedMage: It looks the CIA's website has been DDOS'ed. Anon?02/10/2012 - 7:52pm
RedMage: Brutal Legend.02/10/2012 - 7:52pm
ddrfr33k: Has anything Tim Schafer ever made been of crap caliber? I'm struggling to think of one...02/10/2012 - 7:37pm
Guamish: I think it is in good hands. Tim did a game for the GDC award show and that was fun for how short it was.02/10/2012 - 12:22pm
Andrew Eisen: It'll be tragic if the game ultimately sucks.02/10/2012 - 12:17pm
james_fudge: $1.3 million02/10/2012 - 11:32am
Uncharted NES: Germany Says It Won't Sign ACTA [Update: ... Yet]- http://tinyurl.com/7r2twrg02/10/2012 - 11:21am
Andrew Eisen: Damn. Double Fine's Kickstarter fund has already passed a million dollars.02/09/2012 - 8:16pm
Andrew Eisen: Audrey didn't quote the sassy parts. Here's IGN's article: http://wii.ign.com/articles/121/1218359p1.html And here's my original post: http://tinyurl.com/7y68a3902/09/2012 - 7:50pm
james_fudge: I hope you some said something sassy! Where's the link?02/09/2012 - 7:46pm
Andrew Eisen: Hey, neat. IGN quoted a blog I had writen only two hours earlier. I certainly timed that one pretty well.02/09/2012 - 7:38pm
Andrew Eisen: Toki Tori has been added to the Humble Bundle for Android.02/09/2012 - 5:11pm
james_fudge: Thanks for the heads-up DorthLous02/09/2012 - 4:33pm
DorthLous: Will do, my apologies.02/09/2012 - 4:14pm
Andrew Eisen: I appreciate the heads up but please keep typo alerts to the specific article's comments or PMs.02/09/2012 - 3:33pm
All shouts

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician