DPR Proposes National Standards for Islamic Boarding School Care Following Santri Burning Case

Jakarta – Member of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives from the Golkar Party, Atalia Praratya, has expressed deep condolences over the death of a santri in an alleged violence case at the Roudatussaulatiyah Al-Ibrahimiyah Islamic Boarding School in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Atalia stressed that this tragedy, which has led to the naming of the boarding school head and a senior student as suspects, is a humanitarian tragedy that cannot be viewed as an ordinary event. “A child of the nation has lost their life. No words can erase the grief of the family left behind. But what is even more tragic is if such incidents continue to recur, while we merely offer condolences without fixing the system that should protect them,” she said in a written statement on Tuesday, 14 July 2026. Atalia emphasised that the Indonesian public places great trust in pesantren as Islamic educational institutions that have produced many scholars, intellectuals, national leaders, and guardians of moral values. She stated that this case must not be generalised as the face of all pesantren, but should serve as a reminder that every educational institution must have a strong supervision and child protection system. “The majority of pesantren have carried out their educational functions well. It is precisely because we want to maintain public trust in pesantren that any form of violence must be dealt with firmly,” she said. Atalia argued that the development of pesantren cannot be measured solely by administrative completeness, curriculum quality, or institutional governance. Child safety and protection must become the primary indicator in pesantren quality assurance. She therefore proposed the formulation of a National Standard for Pesantren Care that is oriented towards child protection, involves all elements of the pesantren, and mandates the existence of a safe, easily accessible, and confidential complaint mechanism. This standard must also be strengthened through periodic supervision and audits of care practices, accompanied by strict sanctions, including the revocation of operational permits for pesantren proven to have systematically allowed a culture of violence, in accordance with statutory provisions. “I believe the Ministry of Religious Affairs now has the opportunity to focus more on the guidance and quality improvement of religious education, including building a supervision and care system that can prevent all forms of violence,” she said.