Coordinating Minister: A Child's Intelligence is Worthless Without Mental Health

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Pratikno has reminded educators and parents that a child’s academic intelligence is worth nothing if not balanced with prime physical and mental health. “You can score a 10 in mathematics, but if you are not physically or mentally healthy, what does that mean? It means that 10 is multiplied by zero. What is the final score? Zero as well,” he said during the online National Movement for Safe and Comfortable Spaces for Children (RANA) event, which launched the Friendly School Orientation Period (MPLS) 2026 in Jakarta on Monday.

Pratikno stressed that all efforts to educate children to be smart will not yield optimal results if they are not physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually healthy. He noted that mental health disorders in children often stem from acts of violence they have experienced. The Coordinating Minister specifically highlighted the extraordinary impact of violence in destroying the future and psychological development of the younger generation. “At school, they will have difficulty concentrating, experience learning disorders, low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness, and difficulty trusting others,” he explained.

Therefore, to break this chain of problems, Pratikno called for the realisation of four ‘Safe and Comfortable Spaces’ for children. He explained that the first space is the family as a pillar of affection, followed by the second space, which is educational units including schools, madrasahs, and Islamic boarding schools. To realise the third safe space, namely public spaces, the Coordinating Minister specifically tasked all regional heads to get involved. “The fourth is being safe and comfortable in the digital space,” he said, completing the foundation for child protection.