School rankings ' linked to bullying' - true or false?

Jakarta, Kompas.com - Schools have traditionally been spaces of competition where students strive for high grades, pursue achievements, and climb the rankings. However, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu’ti argues that school ranking systems could potentially fuel bullying within educational environments. This statement has raised the question: is bullying in schools linked to the academic competitiveness fostered in schools?

National coordinator of the Indonesian education monitoring network (JPPI), Ubaid Matraji, believes bullying issues are not as simple as classroom ranking. ‘From what I know, rankings have been phased out for a long time,’ Ubaid told Kompas.com on Wednesday (27/5/2026). Nevertheless, he noted that the competitive spirit leading to student labels persists in the education system. ‘Ranking systems assume all children have uniform starting points, interests, and intelligence. This is academic laziness in evaluating humanity,’ he said. ‘Measuring the intelligence of musicians, aspiring athletes, and future scientists with a single tool then ranking them is a form of injustice,’ he added.