Hardiknas 2026 Becomes Moment to Rethink Education Amid Rising Emotional Fatigue in Students

JAKARTA, Jakartaweekly.com — National Education Day (Hardiknas) 2026 marks a moment to evaluate the education system, amid rising emotional strain among children. Educational success is no longer deemed sufficient when measured solely by academic achievement, but also by a child’s ability to regulate emotions, build self-confidence, and develop at their own pace.

Occupational Therapist at Atelier of Minds, Ries Sansani, said that behind the academic accomplishments often highlighted during Hardiknas, the reality on the ground shows many children returning home from school emotionally exhausted, easily irritable, and losing motivation to learn.

According to her, behaviors often perceived as laziness may in fact signal nervous system fatigue.

“Children are not unwilling to learn; rather, their bodies and brains are not in a ready state. Many challenging behaviors are reactions to environments that do not align with a child’s sensory needs,” she said in a statement on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

She emphasized the importance of a “matching environment” approach—aligning the learning environment with a child’s neurological profile to support optimal development.

Echoing this, Principal Clinical Psychologist at Agape Psychology Singapore, Jeremy Ang, stressed that children cannot learn effectively when they are under stress or in “survival mode.”

He introduced the Regulate–Relate–Reflect approach, which prioritizes calming a child’s emotional state, building connection, and only then moving into the learning phase.

To address these needs, Atelier of Minds promotes a brain-body parenting approach, encouraging parents to understand how a child’s brain works rather than merely controlling behavior.

Simple steps such as allowing transition time after school, reducing overstimulation, and establishing consistent routines are considered effective in preventing early mental fatigue.

School Assignments

Ries noted that a 2024 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe found that 63% of adolescent girls experience stress related to school assignments. In Indonesia, UNICEF reports that around 3.3% of children—equivalent to 2.6 million—are classified as neurodivergent, including those with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, a group that faces more complex challenges within conventional education systems.

This condition is exacerbated by a system that is still not fully adaptive. Many children are forced to conform to a single standard, increasing stress levels not only for the children but also for their parents.

She added that more than 80% of parents with neurodivergent children are reported to experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and even depression due to limited environmental support.

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