Minister: 'Friendly' MPLS to Create Safe and Comfortable School Environments

Malang, East Java (ANTARA) - Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti has emphasised that the Friendly School Orientation Period (MPLS Ramah) for the 2026/2027 academic year is designed to create a safe and comfortable environment in every school. “This Friendly MPLS is a step towards making schools a social, intellectual, spiritual, and physical environment that is safe and comfortable for all students,” Mu’ti said after launching the programme at SMK Negeri 2 Singosari in Malang Regency, East Java, on Monday. He stated that the orientation is not merely a platform for introducing the school environment, but a fundamental instrument for shaping character and instilling humanitarian values to cultivate a generation that is excellent, intelligent, and sensitive to their social surroundings. The Minister stressed that the implementation of MPLS must be guaranteed free from all forms of verbal violence, corporal punishment, and hazing. “We provide them (new students) with the insight to build a friendly character, mutual respect, a spirit of helping one another, and of course the drive to achieve noble aspirations in their lives,” he said. The Ministry is also maximising the 2026/2027 Friendly MPLS to promote the ‘ASRI’ Movement (Safe, Healthy, Clean, and Beautiful). Mu’ti encouraged teachers to use this orientation period as an opportunity to map the talents and interests of new students, with the programme featuring various agenda items for exploring student abilities. He also requested that regional education offices build students’ understanding of the dangers of drug abuse and online gambling, while instilling the values of discipline and integrity. The Friendly MPLS is expected to strengthen inclusivity in the education sector. “MPLS is carried out with a joyful approach, an approach that brings a sense that everyone is involved, and everyone is safe and comfortable,” he concluded.