Indonesia's Minister Nasaruddin Umar Launches National Safe‑School Movement for Pesantren and Madrasah

Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, inaugurated the National Movement for Safe and Comfortable Spaces for Children (Gernas RANA) at the Al‑Hamidiyah Islamic Boarding School in Depok. The initiative aims to create violence‑free, inclusive environments in pesantren and madrasah across the country, targeting roughly 42,000 pesantren and 80,000 madrasah. Gernas RANA is built on five pillars: strengthened regulation and governance, violence‑prevention curricula, safe facilities, grievance and victim‑support services, and cross‑sector collaboration among ministries, local governments, law‑enforcement and civil society. The launch was accompanied by statements emphasizing child protection rooted in religious teachings and a pledge to close all gaps where abuse could occur.

In parallel, the Provincial Government of Maluku introduced the “Budaya Sekolah Aman dan Nyaman” (BSAN) program, a regional effort to foster safe, inclusive school cultures through cross‑cultural religious literacy. Both initiatives reflect a broader governmental push to embed safety, tolerance and character development into Indonesia’s educational system.

The movement aligns with recent regulations on child protection in digital and physical spaces and seeks to standardise safe‑school standards nationwide.