Secretary general of the ministry, Suharti, said that the decision was conveyed through the ministry's Secretary General Circulation Letter No.4 of 2023.
"We urge all heads of education offices both in the province and district/city to deliver this circulation letter to all heads of education units in Indonesia," she added.
In the circular, the ministry has said that a graduation ceremony is not a mandatory activity and it must not become an obligation that burdens students' parents or guardians.
The ministry also reminded all educational units and school committees to discuss and conduct deliberations on determining activities by involving students' parents.
This would align with the mandate of the Minister of Education and Culture’s Regulation No. 75 of 2016 on school committee.
A school committee comprises students' parents, school communities, and public figures who care about education.
"We expect that the role of school committees can provide consideration in determining and executing educational policies related to school programs and activities," Suharti said.
In addition, the ministry has also asked heads of education offices in provinces and districts/cities to provide guidance to all education units in their respective regions.
Guidance should be undertaken to improve the quality of learning activities and services to students.
According to Suharti, it is far more important to improve the quality of learning and educational services provided to students to equip them with knowledge for the future instead of holding graduation ceremonies.
"We need to see the essence of graduation ceremony. Is a graduation ceremony necessary to achieve higher education or is it just a cultural occasion?" she asked.
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Translator: Astrid F H, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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