Jakarta. Education Minister Anies Baswedan called on parents to support children in developing a love of learning on Monday (18/07) as he celebrated the first day of the school year.

Anies marked the launch of the #HariPertamaSekolah (or #FirstDayAtSchool) campaign at the Polisi I state elementary school in Bogor, West Java, on Monday morning.

During his visit to the school, the minister said parents must support children to foster a love of learning, rather than targeting certain test results or pushing them too hard.

“School is like a marathon game rather than a sprint. We don't talk about a 100-meter race, but a very long journey,” Anies said, as reported by the Antara news agency.

"Do not give huge pressure to students. Let them learn the way they love, not with our way."

Last week, he issued a letter to allow civil servants time off to chaperone their children to school for the first of the new school year in an effort to promote better communication between parents and teachers. The move proved a success with many government officials and regional leaders taking part.

Administrative and Bureaucratic Reforms Minister Yuddy Chrisnandi and his wife Velly Elvira were spotted taking their daughter Ayesha Fatma Nandira to Labschool Junior High School in South Jakarta.

“It will be remembered by our kids and could be a good introduction to parents about the school environments. In the first day of school day, it is an obligation for all parents to give some attentions to their sons and daughters,” Yuddy said.

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo took his son, Muhammad Zidane Alam Ganjar, to Semarang's SMPN state junior high school.

In support of the ministry's campaign, Ganjar allowed civil servants in the Central Java administration to start work late on Monday so they could escort their children to school.

#HariPertamaSekolah topped Indonesian trending topics on Twitter on Monday morning with thousands of users sharing their experiences and memories of their first day at school.

The ministry also launched a new website to report bullying, violence or other irregularities at school.