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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Indonesian Ministry Arranges New Schools for Students After Abuse Scandal

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs is arranging for 350 female students from a closed religious boarding school to transfer to other institutions.
  • The Padepokan Padang Ati school was shut down following allegations of sexual abuse against students by its caregivers.
  • The ministry aims to ensure the students can continue their religious education and receive special emotional and psychological support at their new schools.

Indonesian authorities are stepping in to support hundreds of female students displaced from a religious boarding school shut down due to alleged sexual abuse. The Ministry of Religious Affairs in Pekalongan Regency has identified at least five Islamic boarding schools prepared to accommodate the 350 students from Padepokan Padang Ati.

Moh Irkham, acting head of the Pekalongan Regency Religious Affairs Office, stated that the priority is to ensure the students, who range from elementary to high school levels, can resume their religious studies. "We have instructed the surrounding boarding schools, please, parents, so that religious education at Padepokan Padang Ati can continue at other boarding schools because they have studied for a long time," Irkham said.

We have instructed the surrounding boarding schools, please, parents, so that religious education at Padepokan Padang Ati can continue at other boarding schools because they have studied for a long time.

— Moh IrkhamThe acting head of the Pekalongan Regency Religious Affairs Office explains the ministry's efforts to relocate students.

While five institutions have agreed to accept the students, the final decision on where they will continue their education rests with their parents. The ministry has also issued specific instructions to the accepting schools. They are to provide "special treatment and supervision" to help the students cope with the emotional trauma and potential stigma associated with the scandal.

"This is so that there is no emotional burden. Because children, when they gather with other students, especially after hearing news like this, will surely be asked questions and so on. So let their psyche recover so they can study calmly," Irkham explained. The ministry's intervention aims to provide a stable and supportive environment for the students to continue their academic and religious development.

This is so that there is no emotional burden. Because children, when they gather with other students, especially after hearing news like this, will surely be asked questions and so on. So let their psyche recover so they can study calmly.

— Moh IrkhamThe official describes the need for special support for the displaced students.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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