Exclusive, Deputy Chairman of KPAI Jasra Putra: It Must Be Ensured that Schools are Safe Places for Children

The discovery of nearly a thousand firearms and other prohibited items at a private school in South Jakarta has shocked many parties. According to the Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), Dr. Jasra Putra, S.Fil., M.Pd., schools must be ensured as a safe and comfortable place for children to attend classes.

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Last weekend, media reports were shocked by the discovery of items that were included in the negative list to be in a school. The police confiscated hundreds of firearms (995 firearms), airsoft guns, ammunition, and related equipment in one of the rooms of a private school in the Pondok Pinang area, Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.

According to Jasra, after conducting an investigation and investigation, the police must explain to the public about this finding. Who is the owner, since when placing the item in the school, and what the motivation for keeping it is, needs to be explained as clearly as possible.

For the sake of children who study in school environments ranging from kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, and high school, he suggested that online learning be carried out for some time until the situation is safe and it is possible for children to come to school.

And this event, said Jasra Putra, must be a lesson for all parties. In the future, there should be no more similar incidents, in different forms and formats.

"It must be ensured that the world of education is indeed safe and safe for our children. So, whatever the situation and how the conditions are on the ground, the orientation of the best interests of the child must be our concern. And that's talking about the child, yes, of course, attention when he comes, then he goes home, his safety and comfort are ensured," he said to Edy Suherli, Bambang Eros, and Ahmad Taufiksaat visiting VOI's office, August 7, 2026.

The following is the interview script that has been corrected in terms of spelling, typo (typing error), punctuation use, and grammar to be more neat and comfortable to read according to PUEBI/EYD:

When you first heard the news that a gun, ammunition, drugs, and porn VCD were found at an elite school in South Jakarta, what was the first thing that came to your mind as Deputy Chairman of the KPAI?

At first I didn't believe the news. In my mind, maybe this is the weapons warehouse of the police. But after researching the news further, including from VOI, the police finally conveyed this. I was finally convinced. And I was certainly shocked, yes. Because the educational institution is a safe place, and weapons like that we don't imagine are there.

"It's not one or two shots that were found, but almost a thousand. I asked my friends commissioners at the KPAI, what's going on? And it's impossible to just drop it for a day or two. We'll wait for the results of the police investigation: who has it, then how long, and why is it there.

"Besides weapons, there are also drugs and porn VCDs there. That is very, very worrying, isn't it?

"We don't worry anymore. We want to further investigate, are there any victims? Are the students here now, or maybe before - because the existence of the school is not a school for a day or two, but it has been going on for quite some time. Therefore, of course, we will see and investigate that as well. If there are victims, they must be rehabilitated and accompanied, so that they do not become victims again.

"What do we need to do so that parents who entrust their children to study here (there are TK, SD, SMP, and SMA) feel safe studying at this institution?"

Physically, all equipment and a number of items that should not be in school must be immediately removed. That is, handed over to investigators. Then it must also be explained to the children and parents who will certainly wonder, then are there any victims of all this.

If there is a suspicion of a criminal act, it must be processed quickly so that parents feel relieved that this mistake has been taken action on. In educational institutions, the findings should not be there. This is a mistake. We wait for the police to conduct an investigation.

And no less important, it is our concern, it turns out that our education world is not safe. We hope that the school is safe and comfortable, but it turns out to be a place of alleged criminal acts or a place to store illegal goods and goods that should not be in school.

Have similar cases occurred at other schools?

If it is very similar to what is now, I have never known. But if the findings of pornographic VCDs or drugs in other schools, it has been there. For the discovery of weapons, only this time.

"Because the case of the findings in the South Jakarta school is special, there must be a concrete solution from the authorities to explain the problems that have occurred?"

"For the problem of drugs and VCD porn, this is a drug industry. It overshadows our generation, and there are many victims as well. For example, those related to child pornography, we are number two in Asia in terms of data on children published on the internet, both in the form of videos and photos. This data was released by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs in the past period. This overshadows our children.

Then drugs, the findings are not 1-2 kilograms, but tons. And this threatens our golden generation. Well, this is our vigilance that seeing this case and other cases, our educational world is not going well.

Therefore, we must move to strengthen the child protection ecosystem in our educational world: both education managers (in this case teachers and educators), then parents, students themselves, and also media friends. All must collaborate to realize and ensure that the school is a second home for our children. So, they feel comfortable, feel happy, and even they don't want to go home because it is so comfortable for our children. That is our hope.

The following is the corrected text in terms of spelling, typo (typing error), punctuation, and grammar to match PUEBI/EYD without changing the original meaning:

Until now, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has not had a voice. We hope that they can also be involved, what is your response to this?

Maybe the team has already investigated, although there has been no publication. We are also coordinating with the police and related services, what is this really about. Because it is still in the process of police investigation, there may be caution in looking at this issue. The Education Service and the DKI Jakarta Government are also responsible for investigating and investigating this case so that it is clear. And most importantly, this incident should not happen again in the future.

"Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has commented and given attention to this issue through the media, what is your response?"

There are many things that must be corrected in the future. Our Governor has indeed made statements in several media. I think it must be, yes. The Governor and his state apparatus must act immediately, because this case is like lightning in broad daylight. The discovery of weapons in the school makes us stunned. Why is it there? This is certainly dangerous for our children who are there.

The suspected perpetrator of the owner of this weapon is a member of the foundation's administrator who has been deactivated. What is interesting is, why did he have the idea to store weapons at school?

"This must be investigated further, is it true that there are foundation officials who store items that are not worth storing in the school. Is it just one person or is there someone else. We don't know if this weapon can explode or how safe it is, we don't know, yes. Then there was a porn VCD which was quite a lot, plus drugs there.

"These are all negative list items, which should not be in schools. Therefore, we hope that the police can immediately uncover this issue so that the public does not wonder or even speculate. Hopefully there will be developments from the police. This issue must be viewed as a whole, and our concern is that children should not be victims.

How do we ensure that the learning process at this school continues even though the police continue to process the findings there?

"In a situation like this, stigma has emerged, the burden is quite heavy for students, our children who are there. They will be asked by their friends in the surrounding environment because the news is so wide, "What are the many weapons there?" Then the children finally can't answer.

Then there is fear in children, whether there are still other weapons left. He said there was still one banker/bunker that could not be opened, it also overshadowed our children when they came to school. According to me, this is certainly our recommendation: for the time being, these children we do online learning.

The smartest online learning model, right?

Yes, and it is common when there are certain events. For example, when there is a bomb explosion at SMA 72, there is a week of online learning. I think it must be done in the institution until the situation is indeed safe according to the authorities who declare, and also the management of the foundation. So, children can still study, but they will not be afraid to come to a place where there are many weapons.

If we force him to come now, of course the learning will be uncomfortable. This also includes teachers. Not to mention the media reports that often make people uncomfortable. Online learning is the solution at this time. Parents must also be strengthened, explained well, and if necessary the police also explain. Because, when there are findings of weapons in the amount of so many, there is certainly a sense of anxiety, trauma, or maybe a concern that has a negative impact on their growth and development.

If the situation worsens, it is not impossible that there are also parents who plan to move their children to another school, right?

Yes, that situation is possible. That is the choices of parents who want their children to remain comfortable in learning. As long as they pay, of course, they need comfort and security so that the learning process is not disturbed for the growth and development of their children.

If we read on social media, there are also speculations, is it possible that this is a diversion of issues for various cases that have emerged today?

"I don't have the capacity to analyze this matter. But maybe, yes. There are other reports that are quite prominent, then with this case it is brought up so that there is a diversion.

With this case, is there any recommendation from the KPAI to provide security audits to every school in Indonesia, especially schools owned by private parties?

"Actually, the audit has its accreditation instrument and is carried out periodically from the existing standards. There are 8 standards for the instrument, one of which is about facilities and infrastructure: how is the study room, other facilities that are friendly to children, and so on. Then another standard related to human resources, namely teachers and educators, as well as graduate standards. I believe it has been done. However, there is another instrument that must actually function, namely the school supervisor in each district. Of course we have to ask, do the school supervisors know about the situation? This needs to be deepened.

"There is a policy of Child Friendly Schools, has this school entered this category?

"We will check, yes, because there are many indicators that must be met. For example, there is no indicator of any materials, goods, or information that are not eligible to enter the educational institution - such as inappropriate videos, drugs, or weapons that are harmful. Of course we will see the facts. Parents through the school committee must also supervise, because their children's presence there is not one or two days.

Can school committees also demand transparency of security in schools?

They must speak out on the case that happened. The goal is to create a safe and comfortable situation for children to learn.

"What can be done to anticipate that this kind of incident does not happen in other places?

"Prevention efforts can be done by ensuring that all instruments are properly supervised. The more layers of supervision, the more we can anticipate the items that are included in the negative list. Now there is open digital communication through WhatsApp groups and so on; in fact, it can be communicated at any time if there is something that is dangerous. Even the issue of violence such as bullying (bullying) is our full attention, especially since there are findings of items that are not suitable for educational units.

Moreover, the existence of these items is suspected to have been long, this must be explained by the police. Then, for anticipation in the future, I think all rooms in schools, parents certainly have the right to know. If there is a warehouse, what is it, and so on. This is to ensure that our school infrastructure is friendly, safe, and does not endanger children.

What about foundations or institutions that oversee private schools?

Of course there must be a strong commitment, especially in the case that occurred today. We must learn a lot from this case. Don't let this happen again. We must not be negligent in this case so that in the future it will not happen again.

What is your message to those who organize education?

First, it must be ensured that the world of education is indeed safe and safe for our children. So, whatever the situation and how it is on the ground, the orientation of the best interests of the child must be our concern. And when talking about children, yes, of course, the attention when he comes until he comes home is ensured his safety and comfort.

Then the second, I think our child protection ecosystem in the world of education - especially how to ensure cooperation between families, children, educational institutions, and media friends - is really united to realize a safe and comfortable culture in our educational units. With this case, I hope this is the last event that will not happen in the future. People's assumption, the educational institution is a safe institution. Well, don't let this situation be used by irresponsible individuals to create the opposite situation.

In the midst of a busy schedule as Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), lecturer, and Secretary of the Social Welfare Development Council (MPKS) of the PP Muhammadiyah, Dr. Jasra Putra, S.Fil., M.Pd. stores warm stories about his family. Behind his big role in handling issues of children, disabilities, to the elderly at the national level, Jasra is a father who continues to strive to be present for his children.

Serving in Muhammadiyah - a non-profit organization that relies on sincerity, transparency, and high-standard governance - takes up a lot of his time. Not to mention his responsibilities to the country through the KPAI and academic spaces on campus. However, instead of making busyness a limit, Jasra actually makes it a space for learning together with his child.

Facing today's critical generation of children, Jasra is aware that one-way communication like "boss and subordinate" is no longer effective. The key is in an equal and warm dialogue.

"The art of dealing with children now is the key to the main dialogue. Not like subordinates with superiors," said Jasra.

Small spaces such as moments of eating together, light exercise, or just immersing themselves in their children's hobbies are effective means of exchanging thoughts. Even if sometimes you have to use the video call facility in the midst of busyness, the small protest from the child for the limited time is inevitable. In response to this, Jasra is not afraid to be honest and apologize for the limited time available.

One of the unique methods that Jasra applied to overcome the limitations of time was to invite his son to directly explore the place where he served. During school holidays, he often took his son to the KPAI office, the lecture room on campus, to social activities at Muhammadiyah.

This step is not just to fill your free time, but a non-formal character education media. The child is invited to interact with colleagues, see the organization's situation, to learn to empathize in a real way.

"One day I gathered a thousand disabled people, children participated and he learned to recognize various disabilities and how to communicate with them. This is a direct learning for him," he explained.

Through this approach, the child not only understands why his father is so busy, but also absorbs human, social, and leadership values naturally. Jasra Putra hopes that the reflection of the direct experience can shape his son's character to grow into a better person than him in the future.

"Therefore, we must move to strengthen the child protection ecosystem in our educational world: both education managers (in this case teachers and educators), then parents, students themselves, and also including media friends. All must collaborate to realize and ensure that the school is a second home for our children,"

Jasra Putra