RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian House of Representatives’ Commission X has raised alarm over the growing prevalence of violence in educational institutions throughout 2025, calling it a serious warning for the country’s education system.

Deputy Speaker of Commission X, Lalu Hadrian Irfani, said more than 1,000 cases of violence were recorded last year in schools and universities. “The violence took various forms, from verbal to physical abuse,” he said in Jakarta on Thursday, January 22, 2026. He added that the figures show Indonesia’s education sector still faces major challenges.

Hadrian stressed that schools and campuses should serve as places to educate and uplift society, making it troubling when they are instead marked by practices that contradict fundamental educational values. “The core of education is essentially humanizing people,” he said. “If violence persists, it means there is something inherently wrong in our system and practices.”

He cited a recent viral case in Jambi in which a vocational school teacher and several students were involved in a fistfight. “I see that the educational relationship between teachers and students is not functioning as it should,” Hadrian said. He argued that teachers do not fully understand their duties and responsibilities, while students also lack awareness of theirs.

The incident, which took place at a vocational school in Tanjung Jabung Timur Regency, Jambi, was widely circulated on social media. In the video, a teacher was beaten by several students.

Conflicting accounts emerged about the chronology of events. According to students, the confrontation began after the teacher allegedly made remarks that demeaned their economic conditions.

The teacher, however, claimed the incident was triggered by a student’s disrespectful behavior. Seeking clarification, the teacher entered the classroom, but the situation escalated. Emotions flared, and the teacher reflexively slapped one of the students, sparking the fight. (Gusti Panji/Lasti Martina)