5.30 am School Trial For Drowsy Teens Sparks Outcry In This Country

The pilot project in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province, has twelfth-graders at 10 high schools starting classes at 5:30 am.

Every morning in a city in Indonesia's far east, sleepy teenagers can be seen trudging zombie-like through the streets on their reluctant way to school.

It is not a scene from some cheesy sci-fi offering but a controversial experiment to get the day off to a much earlier start for the sleep-deprived teens.

The pilot project in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province, has twelfth-graders at 10 high schools starting classes at 5:30 am.

Authorities say the scheme, announced last month by governor Viktor Laiskodat, is intended to strengthen children's discipline.