Schools to be evaluated annually to create safe, comfortable environment
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has confirmed that education providers in Indonesia, from primary to upper secondary levels, will be evaluated annually to ensure the creation of a safe and comfortable school environment for students. Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti, speaking after a media gathering in Jakarta on Tuesday, said the periodic evaluation process is carried out comprehensively through the School Environment Survey mechanism. “Every year there is a school environment survey filled in by students using a population method, not just a sample,” he said.
This annual evaluation is designed to support Ministerial Regulation Number 6 of 2026 concerning the Development of a Safe and Comfortable School Culture. The regulation was issued as a demonstration of the government’s commitment and as a follow-up to Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 on Electronic System Governance in Child Protection and the President’s directive regarding a Safe, Healthy, Friendly, and Inclusive culture.
In addition to the school culture regulation, the ministry also issued a Circular on restricting gadget use for children under 16 years of age within the school environment. The government considers these efforts crucial given that the rate of child violence and the penetration of digital technology in Indonesia remain relatively high. It was reported in a limited meeting that cases of violence against children in Indonesia currently reach around 21,000 cases. Furthermore, internet user penetration in Indonesia has reached 81 percent, equivalent to 235 million people, with the youth and children demographic dominating more than 80 percent of that digital population.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education applies a humanist, inclusive, and participatory approach by prioritising educative-pedagogical principles,” he said, stressing that through continuous evaluation and the implementation of this policy, the government is optimistic that children can carry out the learning process with the support of healthy psychological, mental, and spiritual conditions.