Indonesia drafts child-friendly Islamic boarding school guidelines

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2 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Religious Affairs is drafting the 2026 Child-Friendly Islamic Boarding School (Pesantren) Guidelines, which will serve as a joint reference for strengthening violence prevention systems and protecting students in the boarding schools.

“Ensuring the safety and protection of students must be part of our efforts to build child-friendly pesantren. The boarding school must be a safe and comfortable place to learn, providing students with the space to grow and develop to their full potential,” Director of Pesantren at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Basnang Said noted in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The draft guidelines were jointly discussed in Jakarta on August 10-11, 2026, with the involvement of various stakeholders to broaden perspectives and ensure that the guidelines adopt a comprehensive approach.

The participants included representatives of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, and the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Indonesian National Police (Bareskrim Polri).

Other participants attending the meeting include Majelis Masyayikh, Rabithah Ma’ahid Islamiyah Nahdlatul Ulama, the Pesantren Development Agency of the Muhammadiyah, the Pesantren Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), as well as representatives of pesantren and child protection advocates.

Basnang said the guidelines should be positioned as an important part of pesantren governance. He said pesantren were not only expected to provide quality education but also to ensure that every student learns and grows in a safe environment.

According to Basnang, the Ministry of Religious Affairs had involved various parties in drafting the guidelines because strengthening student safety requires a collective effort.

“Child protection in pesantren is not solely the responsibility of caregivers or educational institutions. It requires an ecosystem involving the government, community organizations, law enforcement agencies, communities, and pesantren residents,” Basnang said.

He said that the guidelines for pesantren would not only serve as a mechanism for responding when problems arise but would also emphasize prevention.

Thus, the Islamic boarding schools are expected to have systems capable of identifying potential risks, preventing violence and other acts that could endanger students, while also ensuring that protection mechanisms are available when problems occur.

Basnang stressed that strengthening the system must go hand in hand with the character and traditions of pesantren.

“We want efforts to strengthen student protection to grow from the noble values of pesantren. Caregiving traditions, education, exemplary conduct, and respect for students’ dignity must become strengths in building a safeguarding system in pesantren,” Basnang said.