Indonesian students take anti-corruption classes

A student reads an anti-graft schoolbook during a trial run of classes at the Pangeran Diponegoro Anti-Corruption School in Jakarta December 4, 2008.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - In a bid to discourage graft, a new school in Jakarta is offering extra-curricular classes on the national ideology, or pancasila, which promotes nationalism, humanity, democracy, social justice, and belief in one god.

Indonesia has consistently rated as one of the world's most corrupt countries.

But President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has promised to clamp down on graft and Southeast Asia's biggest economy is getting higher -- if still rather poor -- marks in the international corruption rankings compiled by Transparency International.

The Pangeran Diponegoro Anti-Corruption School -- named after an Indonesian hero who fought against former Dutch colonial rulers -- will encourage students from several different schools to behave with integrity and refrain from cheating.

Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, who inaugurated the school, said he hoped that Indonesians' tolerance of corruption could be changed through education.

During a trial run on Thursday, students were asked whether they had ever cheated in exams, eliciting a few nods.

Nova Trirahayu, 16, who attended the session, said she was keen to join in because she was fed up with constantly hearing about corruption cases on television.

"Even the attorney general's office were involved, now how can Indonesia move forward if the eradication officers are involved with corruption?" she said.