Minister of Communication Supports Minister of Education and Culture Regarding Restrictions on Gadgets in Schools
JAKARTA - Communication and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid welcomed Circular Letter 18 Year 2026 regarding the Restriction on the Use of Gawai in Educational Units by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
According to him, the restriction of gadgets in the school environment is in line with Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 concerning the Governance of the Implementation of Electronic Systems in the Protection of Children (PP Tunas).
"The rules restricting the use of gadgets in school environments further complement the Government's commitment to protect our children from the negative threats in the digital space, especially harmful content," Meutya said in his statement.
The circular itself is intended to encourage the use of digital technology wisely, safely, and responsibly by students.
The policy is expected to protect children from various risks of using digital technology, such as digital addiction, exposure to negative content, online violence, cyber security threats, and interference with physical and mental health.
"Excessive use of technology without proper control has the potential to reduce the quality of physical and mental growth and development of children of the next generation of the nation," said Meutya.
Therefore, Meutya considers the rules for restricting gadgets at school to be an important step to create a more conducive digital environment for children.
"Because the role of parents and the educational environment is very vital in supervising and assisting children in the midst of the rapid development of the digital world," he added.
He hopes that the presence of this regulation can help parents to anticipate these threats, including the threat of online gambling which has started to target children and adolescents, cyber violence, digital exploitation, and disinformation which continues to grow in line with the rapid transformation of technology.
Not to forget, he also emphasized the importance of digital literacy training which needs to be presented by every policymaker and other stakeholders who have concerns about the issue of child protection in the digital space.
Meutya believes that limiting the use of gadgets in schools can be part of a national strategy for child protection in the digital space along with other Government policies, as Komdigi has also done through the Minister of Komdigi Regulation Number 9 of 2026 as an implementation of PP Tunas.
"Of course we appreciate the policy issued by the Ministry of Education. Child protection today requires the integration of policies in the education, telecommunications, cybersecurity, mental health, legal security, and other sectors," he concluded.