Inp.polri.go.id - Yogyakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has instructed regional authorities to stop deploying students to stand along public roads when welcoming him during official visits. His order will be formalized through an upcoming directive sent to governors, mayors, and regents across the country.

“I ask the Cabinet Secretary to send a letter to all regional leaders. If I visit, there is no need for school children to wait for me on the roadside,” he said during an inauguration of the Kabanaran Bridge in Bantul, Yogyakarta, on Wednesday (19/11/2025).

President Prabowo acknowledged being moved by the enthusiasm of students greeting him, but noted concerns about children waiting outdoors for long periods under the heat, and losing study time. The practice has previously sparked criticism in Indonesia, with child protection advocates warning that students are being mobilized for political spectacle.

The president said children may watch his visits through media or greet him in classrooms instead, emphasizing that school hours must remain dedicated to learning.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)