South Sulawesi DPRD asks education office to stop 326 principals' resignations

Commission E of the South Sulawesi DPRD asked the South Sulawesi Education Office to stop collecting resignation letters from 326 SMA and SMK principals. The request came after a hearing in Makassar that raised concerns about alleged pressure to step down amid an evaluation of School Operational Assistance, or Bantuan Operasional Sekolah, funds. Commission E Chair Andi Tenri Indah said 128 principals were in the first phase and 198 others in the second. The DPRD said the State Audit Board findings had already been followed up because the disputed funds were returned in line with recommendations. South Sulawesi Education Office head Iqbal Najamuddin said no principals had been dismissed and the letters were part of a performance review, not related to Sistem Penerimaan Murid Baru.