A female student in Anambas regency, Riau, has decided to drop out of vocational high school after allegedly being subjected to constant verbal abuse by her peers.

The student was reportedly called a lonte (prostitute) by a religious studies teacher in public, prompting her classmates to refer to her by the derogatory term on a regular basis.

Riau Islands Child Protection Commission (KPPAD) member Erry Syahrial confirmed the story, deeming it a serious matter. “A teacher shouldn’t have acted that way, especially toward their own student,” Erry said on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com.

He said that, due to the urgent nature of the issue, the commission would immediately submit a report to Riau Islands Education Agency head Muhammad Dali. “We plan to send an official letter to the education agency on Monday to fight for the student’s rights,” he said.

He also said that what the teacher purportedly said was highly inappropriate, given that teachers were supposed to set an example of what passes as socially acceptable behavior.

“Teachers are supposed to educate. If students have done something wrong, it behooves teachers to educate their pupils,” Erry said.

The female student had since moved to her grandfather’s home in Batam, he said.

“She was very traumatized by the incident,” Erry said, adding that she was trying to continue her education in Batam. (rfa)