Student Chokes, JPPI Highlights Safety Procedures in Free Nutritious Meal Programme
The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) has expressed profound grief over the death of an elementary school student in Central Lampung, who allegedly choked while consuming a menu from the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme at school. JPPI believes this incident requires serious attention, particularly regarding child safety aspects in the implementation of the MBG programme.
“This is clearly a fatal oversight. Feeding millions of schoolchildren every day without preparing safety systems and physical hazard mitigation is a very dangerous form of negligence. The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and SPPG are negligent because they are only busy chasing targets for portion quantities and budget absorption, but are blind to the risks to children’s lives in the field,” said JPPI National Coordinator, Ubaid Matraji, in a written statement received on Wednesday (23/09/2026).
JPPI noted fundamental forms of negligence committed by BGN and SPPG in the management of the MBG programme. Firstly, JPPI highlighted food safety standards, specifically regarding the potential for physical hazards that could cause choking.
JPPI assesses that there needs to be clear standards regarding food selection, cutting, texture, and serving methods tailored to the age groups of elementary school students.
Secondly, JPPI highlighted that the implementation of the MBG programme has not yet been accompanied by Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for handling emergency conditions. According to JPPI, the administration of a programme involving millions of children should be equipped with medical emergency handling procedures and first-aid training for those present in the school environment.
Thirdly, JPPI questioned the absence of dedicated medical teams prepared in the field during the students’ meal times. JPPI considers the presence of supervisors with emergency response capabilities essential to minimise fatal risks when incidents occur during meals.
“In response to this negligence which has claimed a life, JPPI demands full responsibility from BGN and SPPG. BGN must not shift the blame onto teachers or school authorities,” he said.
Furthermore, JPPI is urging that the case of the student’s death be thoroughly investigated. JPPI has requested that law enforcement agencies process those deemed responsible if investigations find elements of negligence that caused the death.
JPPI noted that the loss of a child’s life due to oversight could relate to criminal provisions regarding negligence causing death. JPPI also linked this to child protection obligations as regulated under Law Number 35 of 2014.
“The loss of one child’s life due to negligence is a sorrow for the entire nation. Do not allow this programme, worth trillions of rupiah, to continue at the expense of our children’s lives,” he concluded.