"When fathers are directly involved with their children, those children grow up to be resilient individuals," he said while monitoring the Dads at Report Card Day Movement at Pondok Bambu 11 State Elementary School in Jakarta on Friday.
He noted that to promote fathers' involvement, the Ministry of Population and Family Development initiated the Dads at Report Day Movement, also known as Gemar, which encourages fathers to be present at schools to collect their children's report cards.
According to him, the movement is also expected to create cherished memories for Indonesian children.
During his visit, Wihaji highlighted the lack of fathers' involvement in parenting and children's education, noting that approximately 25.8 to 26 percent of children are growing up without an active father figure.
The minister pointed out that some fathers are more preoccupied with their smartphones than with their children. Conversely, many children also spend more time on their phones than with their fathers.
He added that such behavior prevents children from building a strong, close bond with their fathers.
To this end, he appealed to fathers to spend more time being involved in parenting and educating their children, including visiting school twice a year to collect their children's report cards.
"I hope the children you are joining today will grow up to be great individuals who can contribute to their families and the nation," he told fathers in attendance for the school's report card day.
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Translator: Tri Meilani, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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