Education Minister Warns School Rankings May Fuel Bullying, Cites Reasons

Abdul Mu’ti, Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, outlined several triggers, including academic rankings, which can lead to bullying among students. He emphasised that the success of education services must be determined by a safe and comfortable physical and social environment, enabling every student to learn effectively. ‘A safe environment also means socially and psychologically secure, as we often see our schools are not sufficiently safe socially,’ said Minister Mu’ti during the Safe and Comfortable School Culture Seminar at the Kemendikdasmen Building in Central Jakarta on Monday, 25 May 2026. He added that intellectual safety is a crucial factor in ensuring safe, comfortable, and inclusive learning activities. Regarding this, he stated that academic rankings can create comparisons among students that often result in bullying. ‘For example, when older students cannot solve simple problems while younger ones can, that is unhealthy,’ Mu’ti said. Therefore, he stressed the importance of teachers in changing students’ perceptions of the learning process and its outcomes, such as grades and rankings. This shift in perspective is being implemented by Kemendikdasmen through its deep learning policy. The first key principle of deep learning implementation is to honour all parties involved in teaching and learning. ‘Thus, in reality, our approach to students must change; the way we deliver knowledge cannot be separated from values, principles, and the respect we must show to everyone,’ he added.