Welcoming the future from day one

It is through the school gate that the nation’s future is gradually built — not through fear, but through a learning experience that humanises every student.

Surabaya (ANTARA) — For thousands of new students, the first day of school is not merely the start of the academic year. It is where their first impressions of the world of education are formed. They begin to get to know teachers, friends, rules, and the values that will become part of their learning journey.

For years, the School Environment Introduction Period (MPLS) left a less than encouraging record. Hazing practices, uneducational tasks, and various forms of intimidation were once a shadow attached to the activity. Yet the moment of introducing students to school should bring a sense of safety, not fear.

Change has been taking place gradually. Increasingly firm regulations now place students as subjects who must be protected.

Regulation of the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Permendikdasmen) No. 12 of 2026 on the School Environment Introduction Period clarifies that MPLS must be educational, child-friendly, inclusive, free of violence, and free of bullying. Teachers are the main parties responsible for the activities, while student organisations serve only as companions.

The city of Surabaya, East Java, is one of the regions working to translate this spirit into real practice. The Surabaya City Government does not merely treat MPLS as an agenda for introducing classrooms or school rules of order.

The activity has been expanded to become an entry point for building character, strengthening digital literacy, providing anti-narcotics education, introducing health from an early age, and deepening communication between schools and families.

This shift in orientation deserves appreciation. The challenges faced by today’s children are far different from a decade ago. Threats no longer come only from the physical environment, but also from a digital space that is almost limitless.

New challenges