South Sulawesi Ministry of Religious Affairs Establishes Child-Friendly Islamic Boarding School Task Force

The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kanwil Kemenag) in South Sulawesi is moving swiftly to create a violence- and discrimination-free environment in Islamic boarding schools through the tiered establishment of a Child-Friendly Islamic Boarding School Task Force (Satgas PRA). The initiative, led by the Division of Diniyah Education and Islamic Boarding Schools (PD Pontren), is a direct response to the urgent need for a truly safe and inclusive learning environment for the thousands of santri in the province. This is not merely a ceremonial programme; the Satgas PRA is designed to be the spearhead for accelerating and monitoring the implementation of Child-Friendly Islamic Boarding Schools throughout South Sulawesi. The primary goal is to ensure that every pesantren becomes a bastion of protection, rather than a space vulnerable to violence, bullying, exploitation, or discrimination that threatens the future of its students.

Fathurrahman, Head of PD Pontren at the South Sulawesi Ministry of Religious Affairs, stressed that the task force’s formation must be realised immediately through cross-sector collaboration, involving not only internal ministry bodies but also external agencies and institutions. ‘The protection of children in the pesantren environment is a shared responsibility. Therefore, the Child-Friendly Pesantren Task Force must be built through cross-sector collaboration so it can carry out comprehensive functions of prevention, assistance, and handling,’ he asserted on Monday (20/7). The task force’s planned programme includes a broad spectrum of activities, from socialisation and advocacy within pesantren to capacity building for caregivers and administrators, alongside regular monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of child-friendly standards.

Crucially, the Satgas PRA will also serve as the frontline mechanism for following up on any reports of violence or child rights violations within pesantren. Fathurrahman specifically requested that the task force be established in a tiered structure, extending down to the district, city, and individual pesantren levels across South Sulawesi. ‘This task force must be present at the district/city level and in every pesantren, so that prevention, supervision, and handling of any form of violence can be carried out quickly, in a coordinated manner, and directly touch the environment where the santri study,’ he stated. The regional office is optimistic that this structured approach will strengthen the commitment of all pesantren in the province to creating a safe and comfortable educational ecosystem.