UNESCO and Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs advance media literacy in faith-based schools

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs have committed to improving Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in religious-based schools across the country, aiming to strengthen the resilience of students and educators against online harmful content, including disinformation and hate speech, according to a press release. The commitment was sealed during a meeting between the Director and Representative of the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta, Ms. Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa, and the Minister of Religious Affairs, Mr. Prof. K.H. Nasaruddin Umar, held on 22 April at the Ministry in Jakarta. The collaboration seeks to nurture critical thinkers among faith-based school students nationwide.

Through the Social Media 4 Peace project funded by the European Union, UNESCO developed a teaching programme on MIL adapted to the Indonesian context. The adaptation was carried out with the collaboration of 37 teachers from diverse religious backgrounds. These educators came from different regions, including South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Bali, North Sulawesi, and East Nusa Tenggara. The project reflects UNESCO’s broader engagement with faith-based educational institutions in the country.

Ms. Ana Lomtadze, Programme specialist at UNESCO Jakarta, stated that UNESCO worked with a range of stakeholders to develop the training modules. Partners included the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII), which helped better understand the needs of religious schools regarding MIL. The Solopos Institute facilitated consultations with the teachers for the completion of the teaching modules. The training programme consists of 6 chapters covering key areas needed by students and teachers to harness social media safely. Topics addressed include Digital Ethics, Combating Misinformation, Disinformation, and Hate Speech, Personal Data protection, Digital Footprints, and Representation of Diversity in the Digital Space.

To support the integration of the new educational programme, a group of educators formed an MIL Mobilizer Community network. This network is providing peer-support to at least 200 teachers across religious schools in Indonesia. K.H. Nasaruddin Umar acknowledged that many students receive incorrect information from the internet. “Content containing misinformation to hate speech is scattered in the digital space,” he said. He added that students’ ability to understand this needs to be improved, alongside the development of educational content.

The initiative reinforces the shared commitment of UNESCO and the Ministry of Religious Affairs to equip students and educators with critical thinking skills. By embedding MIL in faith-based schools, the partners aim to address online harms encountered by young learners. The collaboration draws on diverse stakeholders, regional representation, and structured training modules. Peer-support networks further extend the programme’s reach across the country. The joint effort marks a concrete step toward safer and more informed digital engagement in Indonesia’s religious education system.