Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, has emphasized that educational units must be free from discrimination.
“Education units must be free from discrimination. Schools should become safe, comfortable, and fun spaces for all students to learn and develop themselves, regardless of their inherent identity,” he said in a statement released here on Friday.
Law Number 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System prescribes that education be held in a democratic and fair manner and not be discriminatory by upholding human rights, religious values, cultural values, and national pluralism, he added.
“Local governments, supported by the central government, are obliged to ensure that schools provide a non-discriminatory learning process by upholding human rights, religious values, cultural values, and national pluralism,” Makarim said.
The realization of a safe and comfortable educational unit that is free from all forms of discrimination and violence is one of the minister’s priorities in the implementation of the Freedom of Learning policy.
This is in line with the mandate of the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture Number 82 of 2015 concerning preventing and overcoming violence in educational units.
The regulation regulates the definition of and steps to prevent and overcome acts of violence on the basis of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, religion, race, and/or inter-group (SARA) in educational units.
Limiting facilities in the teaching and learning process in schools to certain religious groups, including extracurricular facilities, is an act of discrimination that may curtail students’ rights to learn.
“Currently, the ministry’s inspectorate general is conducting an investigation and coordinating with related parties to investigate and handle cases that occurred at Depok 2 High School. We also continue to encourage efforts to eliminate the three major sins of education, namely intolerance, bullying, and sexual violence, through a character-strengthening campaign with the theme of ‘Pancasila Student Profile,’” the minister disclosed.
Furthermore, he reminded that the key to creating a learning environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and intolerance, as well as other types of violence, is collaboration and synergy between the government and all levels of society.
Source: Antara News