Minister Urges Flexible Work for Civil Servants on Children's First Day of School

Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) Rini Widyantini has officially circulated an appeal to officials in ministries, agencies, and regional governments to implement work flexibility for civil servants (ASN) wishing to accompany their children on the first day of school. The appeal, contained in Ministerial Letter number B/257/M.KT.02/2026 issued on Friday (10/7/2026), is titled ‘Appeal to Support Strengthening Family Resilience and the Role of the Family for ASN Employees’. Through the letter, Personnel Development Officers (PPK) in government agencies are asked to provide opportunities for ASN with children in early childhood education, primary education, and secondary education to accompany their children on the first day of school, referring to PANRB Ministerial Regulation No. 4/2025 on the Flexible Implementation of Official Duties for ASN in Government Agencies. ‘The implementation of this work flexibility must not reduce the quality of governance and public services. On the contrary, we hope that through this policy, ASN can work more focused, be adaptive to developments, and achieve a better life balance,’ Rini said in a written statement on Friday (10/7/2026). The work flexibility includes working from the office, home, or other locations, known as work from anywhere (WFA), as well as dynamic working hour arrangements according to organisational needs and task characteristics. PPK or agency leaders are given the discretion to determine the most suitable flexibility model while prioritising the continuity of government tasks, the quality of public services, and organisational performance achievements. She expressed hope that through proper flexible working arrangements, ASN as parents can accompany their children on the first day of school without reducing professionalism, productivity, or the quality of service to the public. This appeal is also in line with the Father Accompanies Child on First Day of School Movement (GAMAS) regulated in the Circular of the Minister of Population and Family Development/Head of BKKBN No. 17/2026, as part of the national strategy to strengthen family resilience towards Golden Indonesia 2045 and efforts to address the phenomenon of fatherlessness by strengthening the role of parents, especially fathers, in early childhood care and education. ‘The presence of a parent in a child’s development is not merely complementary, but a crucial pillar with deep and long-term impacts. This movement is a simple step that can have a psychological impact by bringing the presence of parents, especially fathers, closer to their children,’ Rini stressed.