From Broken Shoes to a Humanitarian Tragedy

The incident of a student’s death in East Kalimantan named Mandala, which is suspected to have begun with the use of school shoes that were no longer fit for use, serves as a serious alarm for the state and all public service providers. This tragedy cannot simply be viewed as a personal issue or family poverty, but must be seen as an indication of suboptimal implementation of social protection systems, healthcare services, and monitoring of student welfare. From the perspective of public services, schools, local governments, and related institutions should have early detection mechanisms for the socio-economic conditions of vulnerable students. When a student has to endure using unfit facilities to the point of seriously impacting their health, there is a presumption of the state’s weak presence in ensuring humane, safe, and just access to education. Assistance for school supplies, preventive healthcare services, and social support should be able to reach children from low-income families before situations escalate to fatal levels. This event also serves as a reminder that the quality of public services is not only measured by the availability of programmes, but by how far the state can ensure that those services are truly felt by the communities in need. A thorough evaluation of the student protection system, integration of poverty data, and rapid responses from educational and health institutions need to be carried out immediately to prevent similar tragedies from recurring. The state must not be late in its presence, let alone negligent, when the safety and future of children are at stake.