As lawmakers are revising the 2003 National Education System (Sisdiknas) Law, academics and education experts have called for stronger guarantees of a safe and tolerant learning environment.

The nutrition agency's newly issued food safety protocol includes time limits for food preparation, the use of sterile water and other measures in a bid to achieve zero incidents of food poisoning that has beset the ambitious free meals program, with two executive rules in the works to oversee its ongoing rollout.

A travel provider association said self-arranged umrah (minor haj) may threaten the sustainability of the business, while another said the scheme will drive innovation among travel agencies.

As the government prepares to make English a compulsory subject in schools, President Prabowo Subianto has said he plans to add Portuguese to the list of elective language programs, although observers have questioned the urgency and relevance of the plan for students.

Following the President's green light to set up a new directorate general dedicated to pesantren, experts have hailed the move as necessary to improve both governance and oversight, including for structural issues believed to have led to last month's fatal disaster at a school in Sidoarjo.

Nearly a hundred residents in Cikande district in Serang regency, Banten, have been evacuated from their homes as the decontamination process continues in the area following a radioactive leak that prompted national attention.

The ministry has instituted a new wage of Rp 700,000 for inmates participating in work and empowerment programs, just above the urban poverty rate and a massive increase compared to the previous rate of Rp 50,000-100,000.

Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu’ti has claimed his office has made several progress in pushing President Prabowo Subianto’s administration vision on improving the country’s education, which focuses on school renovation, education digitalization and teacher welfare improvement.

Indonesia’s latest climate pledge has drawn criticism for not showing strong commitment to cutting emissions and transitioning away from fossil fuels amid calls for the government to do more on the issue ahead of the United Nations climate summit in Brazil next month.

During a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Jakarta, President Prabowo Subianto apologized for missing the COP30 climate change conference in Brazil, but promised to send a strong delegation to support climate initiatives conveyed in the summit.

Athletes have welcomed the new Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) scholarship sports program reserved for active and retired athletes across the country, highlighting the importance of sportspeople to also pursue higher education.

The decision to launch the retraining initiative comes amid heightened scrutiny of Indonesia’s correctional system, after it was revealed that actor Ammar Zoni, currently serving a four-year sentence at Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta for narcotics related charges, was allegedly involved in drug trafficking inside the facility, along with five other inmates.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.