Ministry prepares framework to boost pesantren student caregiving

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs is drafting a framework to strengthen caregiving competencies within Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) to create a safe, comfortable, and supportive religious education environment for students.

“Strengthening student protection needs to be translated into the daily practices of pesantren,” the ministry's Director of Muadalah Education and Formal Diniyah, Mastuki, said in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.

Mastuki noted that protecting students cannot be achieved solely through rules, policy documents, or bans on violence.

Instead, an effective caregiving system is required, spanning capacity building for caregivers, reporting mechanisms, access to support, and evaluations of caregiving practices.

“Regulations must serve as living guidelines, rather than mere administrative documents tucked away without having a direct impact on the lives of the students,” he stressed.

According to him, student protection must be backed by capable caregivers, clear reporting procedures, support networks, and accountable evaluation mechanisms.

The policy framework governing student protection has already evolved. Law No. 18 of 2019 on Pesantren recognizes the role of pesantren in education, preaching, and community empowerment, while preserving their distinct traditions and characteristics.

Several regulations underpin efforts to strengthen child protection and child-friendly caregiving, including Ministerial Regulation No. 73 of 2022, Ministerial Decree No. 91 of 2025, Directorate General of Islamic Education Decree No. 1262 of 2024, and Directorate General of Pesantren Decree No. 13 of 2026.

Mastuki explained that these regulations must be accompanied by capacity building for personnel who interact directly with students in their daily lives.

Caregivers and mentors, he said, need strong communication skills, the ability to apply positive discipline, and the capability to recognize warning signs, provide initial intervention, and understand referral mechanisms when students require assistance.

“This training framework is expected not only to provide an understanding of caregiving principles but also to equip caregivers with practical skills that can be applied in daily pesantren life,” he said.

He further said that the framework must be created by taking into account actual conditions on the ground, given the diverse caregiving approaches, institutional characteristics, environments, and challenges across pesantren.

To support the push, Mastuki urged the heads and directors of pesantren study centers across state Islamic universities to participate in mapping, researching, and surveying caregiving patterns.

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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti
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