Minister urges fathers to spend time interacting with children

Minister of Population and Family Development and Head of the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN), Wihaji, is encouraging fathers to make time to interact with their children to strengthen the family’s role in supporting child development. “Children long not only for financial support, but also for psychological connection,” Wihaji said during the ‘Gerakan Ayah Mengambil Rapor’ (Gemar, or Fathers Take Report Cards Movement) event at MAN 1 Yogyakarta on Thursday. At the event, held as part of the 2026 National Family Day commemoration, Wihaji urged fathers to spend quality time with their children. The ‘Gemar’ initiative is a programme by the Ministry of Population and Family Development aimed at increasing fathers’ involvement in child-rearing and education as part of efforts to strengthen family resilience. According to him, Indonesia is still facing the phenomenon of ‘fatherlessness’. “Based on data available, around 25 per cent of children in Indonesia experience this condition,” he said. He noted that technological developments also pose a distinct challenge for parents. Children today spend a great deal of time using smartphones, making the family’s role essential in providing guidance and building intensive communication. Wihaji believes schools serve not only as places for the transfer of knowledge but also for the transfer of values. He therefore advised parents, particularly fathers, to take the time to communicate and build closeness with their children. “Schools as educational units are not just about the transfer of knowledge, but also the transfer of value. Therefore, I entreat parents with children studying here to talk to them. Because if they are not invited to talk, our children will end up talking only to their mobile phones, which we call a ‘new family’—one that, if we are not careful, is influenced by a device that, in quotation marks, has no heart,” he said. One parent attending the event, Agung Baskoro, felt the Fathers Take Report Cards programme could encourage fathers to be more involved in their children’s lives and education. “The programme is good so that we pay more attention to our children. So far, school matters are often left mostly to mothers,” he said. Agung said work commitments are one factor preventing many fathers from being optimally involved in their children’s education. According to him, paternal involvement can be realised through simple actions, such as taking children to school or collecting report cards in person. “I hope fathers can make more time and give more attention to their children. Simple things like taking them to school or collecting their report cards can be a meaningful form of support for a child,” he said.