Danger, KemenPPPA Calls Schools At 5 Morning Impact On Growing Child Development

A father takes his son to school when the school policy has been implemented at 5 am at High School (SMA) Negeri I Kupang in Kupang City, NTT, Wednesday (1/3/2023). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA) assesses that the implementation of school entry hours at 05.00 am has the potential to reduce children's rest time which will have an impact on children's growth and development.Plt Deputy for Child Rights Fulfillment of the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Rini Handayani said that entering school at 05.00 am has the potential to reduce children's rest time. "So indirectly it will also affect children's growth and development, including reduced concentration of learning because it is likely that children will be more easily sleepy," said Rini, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, March 2.Rini Handayani said that the Ministry of PPPA will continue to coordinate with the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Service (DP3A) of NTT Province in terms of monitoring school entry policies at 05.00 WITA. "We also hope that various regional policies that have an impact on children from polemics and become counterproductive," said Rini Handayani. She added that the policy of entering school at 05.00 am needs to go through a thorough and scientific study, asking for expert views, and input from various stakeholders, including child representatives or students so that the best interest principle of children can be realized.

"This policy needs to be studied more carefully, whether the policy considers the protection aspect of children, starting from the sense of security of students leaving at dawn, the transportation used by students to school, what about students whose home distance to school is far away, and the impact on students' psyches and students' health," said Rini Handayani. Previously, the Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Viktor B Laiskodat made a policy regarding schools starting at 05.00 WITA for SMA/SMK in Kupang City. However, due to the large number of rejections from residents, the policy changed from 05.00 WITA to 05.30 WITA.