Indonesia Society News: Social Issues & Education

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post
Society premium

As forests fragment, arboreal bridges offer orangutans a lifeline

Habitat fragmentation limits orangutan movement between populations, potentially reducing genetic exchange and raising the risk of inbreeding, with implications for the species’ long-term survival.

2 days ago
Society premium

UIII marks first commencement ceremony for doctoral graduates

The graduating class came from UIII’s four schools of Islamic studies, social sciences, economics and education sciences, including 99 international graduates from 22 countries. ...

4 days ago
Society premium

Forestry reform critical as wildfires threatens health, ecosystems

The plan to revise the 1999 Forestry Law may fail to address decades-long poor governance in the sector that has resulted in wildfires in large parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua throughout this year’s dry season, civil groups say. ...

4 days ago

The Latest

Society premium

Hundreds fall ill after eating govt provided meals, as Prabowo downplays concerns

As of Sunday, education watchdog the Network for Education Watch Indonesia (JPPI) had recorded some 13,168 students having experienced ill effects. The Health Ministry, meanwhile, recorded almost 11,660 victims as of Oct.5.

10 months ago
Society premium

Prabowo to allocate seized money to fund LPDP scholarships

During a cabinet meeting on Oct 20, the day of his administration’s one-year anniversary, President Prabowo Subianto said some of the Rp 13 trillion (US$785 million) seized in a high-profile palm oil corruption case should be allocated for Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) scholarships.

10 months ago
Society premium

Forest under threat as corporations, military gain power under Prabowo

One year into President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, environmental watchdogs warn of a deepening ecological crisis fueled by elite business interests and an expanding military role in natural resource management.

10 months ago
Society premium

Bali’s Udayana University probes bullying allegation following student’s death

In the aftermath of his death, screenshots of group chats surfaced online showing students at the university making cruel and dehumanizing remarks about Timothy’s passing, with one comparing his body to a gorilla and joking about the difficulty of moving it, while another wrote, “I’m trying so hard not to laugh.”

10 months ago
Society premium

Indigenous groups sidelined in Indonesia’s climate efforts

The climate crisis puts harms on indigenous communities’ lives, livelihoods and tradition, but they are often sidelined in policies and any measures from the government to mitigate impacts from the crisis.

10 months ago
Society premium

Spike in influenza cases prompts calls for stronger public health measures

A jump in Influenza A cases nationwide over the past few weeks has prompted calls for the government to bolster health protocols and boost awareness to ensure the safety of vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly.

10 months ago
Society premium

Prabowo’s populist policies ‘disconnected’ from people’s needs

An observer argued that public resentment arise because the country’s leaders have lost “what Pope Francis calls the ethic of compassion particularly toward the daily suffering of the people."

10 months ago
Society premium

Court allows indigenous peoples to cultivate forests

Constitutional Court justices granted a judicial review petition against the Job Creation Law, allowing agricultural activities for indigenous communities in forest areas to fulfill daily needs, not commercial purposes.

10 months ago
Society premium

TV company Trans7 apologizes over ‘offensive’ content on ‘pesantren’

Following protests on social media and on the streets and threats of boycotting the private television company from pesantren students, management and alumni, Trans7 issued a public apology for content deemed disrespectful to the Islamic boarding school community.

10 months ago
Society premium

Mass poisoning cases surge as free meals continue

At least 11,566 people have suffered from mass food poisoning after consuming government-sanctioned free nutritious meal packages since the program rollout, according to education watchdog group Network for Education Watch Indonesia (JPPI).

10 months ago
Society premium

Pressure on govt for new climate pledge ahead of COP30

The government missed the September deadline to submit the new climate pledge ahead of the Brazil climate summit in November, but claimed that the new commitment would be more ambitious than the last one submitted in 2022.

10 months ago
Society premium

Government continues push for repatriation of artifacts from Europe

Culture Minister Fadli Zon announced this week that his ministry plans to send an official letter to the German government requesting the return of several historical objects originating from Indonesia, including artifacts connected to the Batak people of North Sumatra.

10 months ago
Society premium

Fuel station owners begin to think about EV impact

Electric vehicle (EV) impacts on fuel station business would depend on technological advancement and government’s policy.

10 months ago
Society premium

Police probe Serang radioactive contamination after US shrimp alert

The National Police have launched a criminal investigation into the radioactive contamination of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) at the Cikande Industrial Estate in Serang, Banten, after traces of the substance were detected in shrimp exported to the United States.

10 months ago
Society premium

Death of 12-year-old student highlights govt failure to prevent school bullying

Twelve-year-old Angga Bagus Perwira was found dead in his classroom at SMPN 1 Geyer Junior High School, Grobogan, Central Java, on Saturday at around 11 a.m. According to his classmates, Angga had been involved in two separate altercations with peers earlier that day, before experiencing seizures and ultimately passing away.

10 months ago
Society premium

BGN hires 5,000 chefs to train free meals kitchen staff

Training staff at free nutritious meal program kitchens to adhere to food and hygiene standards may be insufficient to preventing further food poisoning cases, experts have said.

10 months ago
Society premium

Govt to form special building inspection team after fatal ‘pesantren’ collapse in Sidoarjo

As a new task force begins to emerge in the aftermath of the Al Khoziny school tragedy, experts are urging the government to step up to the plate and meet its legal obligations in delivering quality education and safe learning facilities.

10 months ago
Society premium

Scrap metal import in spotlight after recent radioactive cases

The presence of Cesium-137 in food products exported from Indonesia is believed to come from imported scrap metal recycled as raw material for steel processing industries. More than 450,000 tonnes of scrap metal have been imported to Indonesia this year, according to UN Comtrade data.

10 months ago
Society premium

House queries TNI plan to distribute free vitamins

On Oct. 1, the Defense Ministry distributed 4.8 million doses of a multivitamin called Vitarma, produced by the Defense Ministry Pharmaceutical Center (Pusfarhan), to around 100 free meal kitchens across Jakarta. The supplements are intended for students and pregnant women who are beneficiaries of the government’s free meals program.

10 months ago
Society premium

Government rolls out Garuda Schools for top students

Managed by the Higher Education, Science and Technology Ministry, the initiative aims to prepare students for admission to the world’s top universities.

10 months ago
Society premium

Civil groups launch reporting platform to monitor free meals program

Introduced on Tuesday, the initiative includes a reporting platform that allows the public to flag incidents related to the program, including issues of food quality and hygiene.

10 months ago
Society premium

Calls grow for probe into deadly Sidoarjo school collapse

Lawmakers have joined the chorus of growing calls for a rigorous investigation into a prayer hall that collapsed on students at an Islamic boarding school in the East Java city, as the toll rises to at least 67 dead and over 100 injured in what is quickly becoming the worst nonnatural disaster of 2025.

10 months ago
Society premium

Breaking the silence: Deaf lawyers make judicial history in Indonesia

After years of rejection, isolation and systemic barriers, two advocates have broken a historic barrier in the judicial system, proving that deafness is no obstacle to serving justice.

10 months ago
Society premium

Foodborne illnesses spread as government downplays free meals crisis

As food poisoning cases linked to President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program continue to spread across the country, public concern is mounting over the government’s insistence on continuing the rollout despite calls for a full pause to allow for investigation and improvements.

10 months ago
Society premium

Govt rushes to clean up cesium-137 spill in Banten

The contamination is suspected to have originated from discarded industrial scrap metal processed at a smelting plant located less than 2 kilometers from a frozen shrimp packaging factory. 

10 months ago
Society premium

Large-scale food estate threatens Indonesia’s climate pledge

The government’s ongoing food estate project has drawn criticism for environmental damage that could undermine Indonesia’s climate commitments, as the initiative requires large-scale land and forest clearance despite past failures in achieving food self-sufficiency

10 months ago
Society premium

Incentives vs. liability: Teachers question free meals role

Teachers have voiced concern over the government’s plan to have them oversee the free nutritious meal program, warning that, despite offered incentives, the added responsibility could distract from teaching and expose them to liability if food safety problems occur.

10 months ago
Society premium

Jakarta police arrest alleged hacker using Bjorka alias

When asked whether WFT was the infamous hacker Bjorka, responsible for alleged data breaches targeting several government institutions between 2022 and 2024, Fian said authorities have not yet confirmed this, noting that “everybody can be anybody on the internet.”

10 months ago
Society premium

Court hands down lenient sentences in Undip medical bullying case

Aulia's body was discovered on Aug. 12, 2024, in her rented room. Her death was reportedly attributed to a fatal overdose from self-injected tranquilizers. The anesthesiologist is believed to have been bullied during her residency at Dr. Kariadi Central General Hospital in the provincial capital, as described in her personal diary found at the scene

10 months ago
Society premium

Deadly boarding school collapse exposes failures in construction safety

The collapse of an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, which killed several people and left dozens missing has cast a harsh spotlight on Indonesia’s weak construction safety standards and the shortcomings of local administrations in monitoring urban development.

10 months ago
Page: 12

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.