Lawmaker Urges Government to Establish National Childcare Standards for Pesantren Amid Recurring Violence

A member of the House of Representatives (DPR) has proposed that the government immediately formulate national childcare standards for pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) to strengthen child protection, following developments in the handling of an alleged case involving the burning of three students in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Atalia Praratya, a member of Commission VIII DPR, stated in a written release received in Jakarta on Tuesday (14/7/2026) that the proposal aims to prevent the recurrence of violence in religious educational institutions through enhanced supervision systems, safe complaint mechanisms, and regular supervision and evaluation of childcare practices in every pesantren. The alleged burning case, which occurred in November 2025, has regained public attention as it enters the legal process. As a member of the commission overseeing religious affairs, she assessed that the development of pesantren cannot be measured solely by administrative, curricular, or institutional governance aspects. She proposed the formulation of national childcare standards for pesantren that are oriented towards child protection, complete with safe complaint mechanisms, periodic supervision and evaluation, as well as strict sanctions, including the revocation of operational permits for institutions proven to have systematically allowed a culture of violence. ‘A child’s life has been lost. No words can erase the family’s grief. But what is even more tragic is if such tragedies continue to recur, while we merely offer condolences without fixing the system that should protect them,’ Atalia said. She stressed that this case should not be generalised as a reflection of all pesantren. According to her, the majority of pesantren have carried out their educational functions well, and therefore, firm action against perpetrators of violence is necessary to maintain public trust in Islamic educational institutions. ‘The majority of pesantren have carried out their educational functions well. Precisely because we want to maintain public trust in pesantren, every act of violence must be dealt with firmly,’ she asserted.