Education Minister Links Academic Rankings to Bullying

JAKARTA (ANTARA) — Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti outlined several triggers, including academic ranking systems that could provoke bullying among students.

He stressed that the success of education services must be determined by safe and comfortable physical and social environments to enable every student to learn effectively.

“Safety must include social and psychological security, as our schools often lack sufficient social safety,” Mu’ti said during the Safe and Comfortable School Culture Seminar at the Kemendikdasmen A Building in Central Jakarta on Monday.

“Intellectual safety, he added, is a crucial factor in ensuring safe, comfortable, and inclusive learning environments.”

“Regarding this, he noted that academic rankings can foster comparisons among students, often leading to bullying.”

“For example, when older students can’t solve simple problems while younger ones can, it’s unhealthy,” Mu’ti said.

“Therefore, he emphasised the role of teachers in shifting students’ perspectives on learning processes and their outcomes, including grades and rankings.”

“The first key principle of deep learning is to respect all parties involved in the teaching and learning process.”

“Thus, there is a reality where our approach to students must change; the way we deliver knowledge cannot be separated from values, principles, and the respect we must show to all,” he said.