Five-year-old Azzahra “Ara” Nadia could not sleep on Sunday night, because she would officially become a kindergarten student the very next day. She woke up early and asked her father, Seto Ajie, what time it was. Then she rushed to get ready for her first day at school.

“She was very excited. By contrast, my wife and I were worried. It’s us, the parents, who get cold feet,” Seto said Monday.

Instead of going to work in Kemandoran, West Jakarta, like any other day, Seto decided to spend more time with his daughter. Not only did he take Ara to school, but he stayed throughout the day.

“This is one of Ara’s huge steps in her life. My wife and I agreed to always be present on her big days to create memories,” the private sector employee said. “I’ve promised to be there on her first days of junior high school and even in university.”

Seto said he had no qualms about asking his supervisor for permission, because the boss apparently took a day off for a similar reason, prompting many of his fellow employees to follow suit.

“I want to ensure that Ara is comfortable with the new environment and get to know her teachers and the location of the classroom, the toilets, the health center. I’ll accompany her in this first week, even though I’m the only man among the mothers,” he laughingly added.

Another parent sending her child to school for the first time is Kristenia Angela. The Finance Ministry civil servant said she had been about to take a leave day to be with her daughter, but then the ministry had granted all employees permission to accompany their children to school.

“Such a regulation really helps us parents, who are worried about their children’s first day at school. I hope the permission will be expanded to three days in the future,” she said.

“I’m happy I could see my daughter happy as she adapted to her surroundings, her new friends and teachers. She looked very confident, as she knew I was there to support her,” she added.

Unlike Seto and Kristenia, Winny Chatarina had been accompanying her children on the first day of school since 2008. Her oldest child is now in senior high school in Kebayoran Baru, while her youngest goes to an Islamic elementary school in Kebayoran Lama, both in South Jakarta.

“I’ve been doing this for 10 years now. My kids never mind my presence on the first day of school, and I’m glad I could watch them grow,” said Winny, who works at a hotel on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, when he was still the education and culture minister, encouraged parents to accompany their children on their first day of school. Pictures of Anies taking his son to school in Depok, West Java, on a motorcycle went viral on Sept. 1, 2016.

Recently, Anies issued Circular No. 9/2018 on the first day of school, suggesting that parents take their children to school on the first day after a long break. He also said civil servants and employees of city-owned companies were allowed to come to the office at 9:30 a.m. on that day.

Education and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said in Jayapura, Papua, that the best parents were those who paid attention to their children’s education.

“Talk to the teachers and discuss how to support the children’s learning process,” he said.

He called on schools and parents to work together and create a positive environment in which children could learn and prosper.

Muhadjir donated 3,000 storybooks to state elementary schools SD Kotaraja and SD Inpres Kotaraja during his visit. He also handed Rp 20 million (US$1,380) in cash to the two schools to build a reading room and purchase sport equipment.

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