KPAI urges parents to regulate children's sleep schedules and reduce gadget exposure

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) is urging parents to readjust their children’s sleep schedules and reduce gadget exposure, which has likely increased during the Eid al-Fitr holiday period.

“We remind parents to start regulating their children’s sleep schedules again and to reduce screen time (gadget exposure) that may have increased during the holiday,” said KPAI Deputy Chairman Jasra Putra when contacted in Jakarta on Thursday, in response to the end of the school Eid holiday.

KPAI supports the appeal from the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen), Abdul Mu’ti, for schools to create a joyful and reflective learning atmosphere.

He stated that children need a transitional phase from the holiday atmosphere to cognitive readiness for learning.

“Children have just absorbed values of tradition, family ties, and local wisdom directly from the source. This wealth of empirical experience is very good to explore as an initial learning potential, ideally accommodated by teachers as part of classroom interactions, so that children feel their social experiences are valued and relevant to the school environment,” said Jasra Putra.

The commission hopes that schools will not immediately burden students with heavy material intensity.

Meanwhile, in the realm of religious education, similar preparations must be implemented.

“The post-holiday orientation process in pesantren needs to be managed humanely to restore the mental and spiritual readiness of santri after celebrating the holiday, so they can return to learning with sincerity and conducive conditions,” he said.

Based on the 2026 Eid school holiday schedule, the government has set early childhood education (PAUD), primary (SD), junior secondary (SMP), up to senior secondary (SMA)/equivalent units for a two-week break from 16 March to 27 March 2026.

Students are then scheduled to return to school on Monday (30/3).