The change of Minister of Education is often followed by new policies that cause various reactions among the public, including students and educators. This study aims to understand public perceptions of the change of Minister of Education and its implications for curriculum policy. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach with a questionnaire-based interview data collection method to educators and students. The results showed that most respondents had positive expectations of the new minister, especially regarding improving the quality of education and reducing the administrative burden on teachers. However, there were concerns about repeated curriculum changes. Respondents emphasized the importance of inclusive communication, strengthening the role of teachers and improving education infrastructure. Active stakeholder support is considered essential in realizing relevant, effective and sustainable education policies.

This study aims to examine the relationship between empathy and emotional independence in 9th grade students of SMP Sejahtera Koja, North Jakarta. The background of this study is the importance of empathy as an aspect of emotional intelligence in social interaction, which is increasingly fading among adolescents, as well as the role of emotional independence as an indicator of individual emotional maturity. The study used a quantitative approach with 69 respondents, through data collection using a Likert scale-based questionnaire. The results of simple linear regression analysis showed that the effect of empathy on emotional independence is very small (R value = 0.194 and coefficient of determination of 3.8%). This finding suggests that other factors, such as parenting, environment and social interaction, are more dominant in influencing emotional independence. This study is expected to contribute to the development of a holistic education program in improving students' empathy and emotional independence.