SPATIAL MOBILITY OF CHILDREN GOING TO SCHOOL IN THE ARCHIPELAGO OF INDONESIA: A REVIEW

Abstract

The mobility of children going to school plays an important role in their quality of life. Hence, spatial planning and the development of city infrastructure should meet the needs of children. Home, school, and the surrounding city influence children’s character and growth. Children’s spatial mobility in the Archipelago of Indonesia is still not fulfilling the framework of a child-friendly environment. This study aims to review the parameters of children’s spatial mobility in Indonesia’s archipelago, suggesting the degree of fulfilment of a child-friendly environment. A review of seven local and national electronic media coverages to elicit the parameters of Indonesia’s children’s environment. The coverages include Liputan6, Radar Sriwijaya, Medan Headlines, Detiknews, Hipwee, CNN Indonesia, and Merdeka.com from 2015 to 2021. Three themes were identified from the coverage, including (1) basic services (education and transport), (2) safety and security, (3) family, kin, peers, and community. It is found that education and transport are the essential services that are not equipped for the children’s mobility, especially those living on the islands. Thus, the lack of transportation infrastructure is a strong influence and appears in the dynamics of the development of the spatial mobility of children in the Indonesian Archipelago.