Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Strengthens Child Protection in Digital Realm through Implementation of Tunas Regulation
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting children in the digital sphere. This commitment has been demonstrated through a Coordination Meeting on the Follow-up Implementation of Government Regulation (PP) Number 17 of 2025 on Tunggu Anak Siap (Tunas) held at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs office in Central Jakarta.
The strategic meeting was attended by ministers from various government agencies, namely the Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs (Menkomdigi), the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri), and the Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection (MenPPPA).
The Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, expressed full support for the implementation of the Tunas Regulation through strengthening regulations within educational institutions. He highlighted the issuance of Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Regulation Number 6 of 2026 regarding the establishment of Safe and Comfortable School Culture (BSAN).
“We are undertaking this effort to build a school culture where an atmosphere of mutual respect and reverence flourishes, and to make schools a second home for our children. Its implementation is developed with governance that applies nine core principles, ranging from humanistic to inclusive,” stated Abdul Mu’ti.
Furthermore, Abdul Mu’ti introduced the 3S principle (Screen Time, Screen Break, and Screen Zone) as guidance for teachers and parents. This measure is expected to integrate character education with civilised digital technology use, whilst also limiting social media access for children under 16 years of age. Through cross-ministerial synergy, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education hopes that the implementation of the Tunas Regulation will create comprehensive protection for Indonesian children.
The Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, explained that this coordination represents swift action in following up on the government regulation which was signed by the President on 28 March 2025. Meutya stressed the magnitude of the challenge faced by Indonesia in protecting approximately 70 million children under 16 years old.
“Collaboratively, we all agree to take acceleration actions towards 28 March so that child protection efforts in the digital realm can be implemented more effectively. Despite the challenges, God willing, we can carry this out effectively and efficiently,” clarified Meutya.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, emphasised the importance of the role of local governments in overseeing this programme to make it mainstream in regional planning. The minister assured that monitoring and incentive provision would be conducted for regions demonstrating high commitment to child protection.
“The involvement of local governments is a necessity. We will monitor and evaluate which regions are working effectively. Good performers will be rewarded through regional incentive funds. We will also develop an index of regions caring about child protection from the negative impacts of electronic systems,” stated Tito firmly.
The Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, Arifatul Choiri Fauzi, added that one solution lies in the maximum utilisation of traditional games. She assessed that traditional games possess high philosophy in building the character of Indonesian children and instilling Pancasila values.
“In traditional games, children learn to queue and show appreciation regardless of cultural background. This could be one solution in reducing gadget use among children,” concluded Arifatul.
The primary focus of protection encompasses 10.4 million Madrasah students, 3.3 million pesantren students, and tens of thousands of students from religious schools of various faiths.
However, various elements of civil society, education practitioners, and legislative representatives have called for thorough review of the Tunas Regulation implementation plan. Concerns have been raised that the current policy approach remains top-down and has not fully opened dialogue with key stakeholders. Without clear parameter details, the policy intended to protect children risks producing unintended consequences.