The president's request was put forth by Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Cultural Affairs and ad-interim Religious Affairs Minister Muhadjir Effendy after meeting Jokowi at the Presidential Palace here Tuesday.
"Yes, the president gave his instruction to continue to guide educational institutions, particularly where (sexual violence cases) have occurred. Mitigation steps and trauma healing for school pupils must be organized," Effendy stated.
The coordinating minister spoke of having met the president to report on the progress in his duties as the coordinating minister and ad-interim minister of social affairs and minister of religious affairs.
Jokowi emphasized that authorities should intensify their efforts to guide educational institutions, particularly Islamic boarding schools, to prevent cases of sexual violence in the institution.
Effendy then stated that the decision to cancel the revocation of the operational permit of Majma'al Bahrain Shiddiqiyah Islamic boarding school in Jombang, East Java, following allegations of sexual violence by a school leader against five students, was made in accordance with the president's instruction.
He noted that the sexual violence case implicated only one school leader and that the boarding school institution had no involvement in the case.
"Moreover, the suspect as well as those, who attempted to obstruct officers (to arrest the suspect), have all been arrested. We have no more justification for not restoring the institution's permit," the coordinating minister expounded.
The government and relevant stakeholders are currently responsible to rehabilitate the Islamic boarding school, he noted.
"According to the president's suggestion, as the case has drawn his attention, (the school license revocation) must be cancelled to calm parents whose children had enrolled in the school," Effendy remarked.
Translator: Rangga Pandu AJ, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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