Enhancing the Safe School Policy within Indonesia’s Education System Law
Indonesia is preparing to revise its national education system law, a significant reform that will shape how schools ensure quality, equity, safety, and inclusion. Recognising this strategic momentum, the Center on Child Protection and Wellbeing (PUSKAPA), supported by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX) a joint endeavour with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and in collaboration with Indonesia’s Civil Society on Education Consortium (KMPPI), organised a public discussion entitled “The Draft National Education System Law and the Promise of Safe, Inclusive, and Tolerant Learning Environments for All”. The event took place on October 20, 2025, at the Tanoto Foundation Office in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The discussion brought together five speakers and 50 participants from diverse backgrounds, including policymakers, academics, school representatives, teacher organisations, and civil society representatives. The dialogue highlighted key challenges and opportunities for integrating safe, inclusive, and tolerant learning environments into the revised law. PUSKAPA also shared emerging findings from the GPE KIX-funded project, Empowering Schools as Frontliners, which examines how Indonesian schools are implementing policies for violence prevention and response.
The speakers addressed several challenges in implementing anti-violence policies in schools. Teachers often struggle to fully grasp the issue because definitions of violence vary across regions. This problem is worsened by limited opportunities for capacity building, which leaves teachers lacking the skills for violence prevention and management. Furthermore, the speakers highlighted the lack of coordination among sectors and the insufficient monitoring and evaluation systems required to help schools maintain safe learning environments.
Three priority actions emerged from the discussion. First, the revised national education law should adopt safe, inclusive, and tolerant learning environments as a core management principle, ensuring that education supports children’s holistic well-being in addition to academic learning. Second, the roles, rights, and responsibilities of students and educators must be clearly defined to strengthen shared accountability. Third, teachers, schools, and local governments need adequate resources and ongoing support for training, implementation, and monitoring.
Through this discussion, PUSKAPA and KMPPI expressed their support for strengthening the national education system law. These improvements are crucial for reinforcing the principle of zero tolerance for violence in education. By providing safe learning environments, Indonesia will be better equipped to achieve its vision of cultivating a smart and resilient golden generation.
