School Policies for Social Harmony and Intolerance Prevention in Indonesian High Schools: A Qualitative Study in Surabaya
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Objective: This study aims to explore how high schools conceptualize, implement, and evaluate school-level policies designed to promote social harmony and prevent intolerance.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a qualitative research design with a descriptive approach. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes across institutional categories. The research was conducted in Surabaya, Indonesia, involving seven purposively selected schools: three public schools (SMAN 6, SMAN 13, SMAN 18), two private religious-based schools (SMA Al-Hikmah, SMA St. Louis 1), and two private public-based schools (SMA Kemala Bhayangkari, SMA Trimurti). Participants consisted of 14 key educational staff, including principals, vice-principals, and teachers from Civic Education, Religious Education, and Guidance and Counseling (BK). Data from open-ended qualitative questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework for thematic analysis, supplemented by Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) for data triangulation.
Findings: The analysis revealed that schools utilize a mixture of preventive and repressive strategies. Preventive efforts include integrating character education into the curriculum, implementing anti-bullying movements, and fostering cross-community interactions. Repressive strategies primarily rely on guidance, counseling, and progressive behavioral sanctions. However, the study highlights that student participation in policy formulation remains limited, and objective school-level monitoring and evaluation instruments are highly uneven or absent. Teachers perceive that these measures help maintain a respectful environment, though objective metrics of policy efficacy are lacking.
Conclusion: While schools have developed diverse tolerance-oriented policies, student voices and evaluation mechanisms remain uneven and require systemic strengthening to ensure sustainable social harmony.
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