Gov’t Launches RAN PIJAR to Improve School-Age Children, Adolescents Welfare

The Government launches RAN PIJAR in Jakarta, Tuesday (04/19) (Photo by: PR of Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs)

In a bid to build advanced and high quality Indonesian human resources, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhajir Effendy Tuesday (04/19) issued Coordinating Minister’s Regulation Number 1 of 2022 on the National Action Plan for the Improvement of School-Age Children and Adolescents Welfare (RAN PIJAR).

“The launch of RAN PIJAR aims to focus on solving problems related to the welfare of school-age children and adolescents,” Muhajir said at the launch of RAN PIJAR in Jakarta.

The approaches to the younger generation’s issues are quite comprehensive, such as issues on health and nutrition, parent-child relationship, peer relationship, teacher-student relationship, safe environment that supports child development, quality and access to education and training, and resilience in taking a stand and taking actions.

The Coordinating Minister also revealed some problems that are faced by school-age children and adolescents in Indonesia including poor dietary habits, anemia, malnutrition, obesity, violence at school and at home, traditional bullying and cyber bullying, emotional/mental disorders, depression, juvenile delinquency, narcotics abuse, as well as lack of access to education, especially for underprivileged children and children with disabilities.

The problems faced by school-age children and adolescents in Indonesia, Muhajir emphasized, are responsibility of all components of the country including the Central Government, regional governments, non-government organizations, and the communities. To that end, he called on all sides to synergize to promote welfare for school-age children and adolescents by implementing the RAN PIJAR properly.

For the record, the RAN PIJAR has five main strategies, namely: 1. strengthening commitment and coordination as well as cross-sector and stakeholders cooperation; 2 widening access to quality healthcare services; 3. providing safe environment that supports adolescent development; 4. improving quality and access to support educational improvement, life skills, role of school-age children and adolescents; 5. strengthening and developing information system on research data and innovation in human resources development. (RP of Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs) (AP/MMB)