<![CDATA[Child-friendly education is a crucial approach in primary education aimed at creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment that respects children’s rights and encourages their active participation. Primary schools play a strategic role as the foundational stage of formal education in shaping students’ cognitive, social, and emotional development. However, despite its growing recognition, the implementation of child-friendly education in primary schools continues to face various challenges at both policy and practice levels. This article aims to systematically examine the challenges of implementing child-friendly education within a global context, particularly at the primary school level. The study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method by analyzing peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2015 and 2025 and indexed in relevant academic databases. The review process involved the application of clear inclusion and exclusion criteria, systematic literature searches using predefined keywords, and thematic synthesis of research findings. The results indicate that the major challenges in implementing child-friendly education include inadequate supporting facilities and infrastructure, limited teachers’ understanding and competencies regarding child-friendly education principles, weak policy implementation and monitoring, and insufficient parental and community involvement. Furthermore, the persistence of violence and bullying in school environments suggests that child-friendly education has not been optimally implemented. This study is expected to contribute both theoretically and practically by providing a comprehensive understanding of the existing challenges and offering insights for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders to strengthen the sustainable implementation of child-friendly education in primary schools. Child-friendly education is a crucial approach in primary education aimed at creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment that respects children’s rights and encourages their active participation. Primary schools play a strategic role as the foundational stage of formal education in shaping students’ cognitive, social, and emotional development. However, despite its growing recognition, the implementation of child-friendly education in primary schools continues to face various challenges at both policy and practice levels. This article aims to systematically examine the challenges of implementing child-friendly education within a global context, particularly at the primary school level. The study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method by analyzing peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2015 and 2025 and indexed in relevant academic databases. The review process involved the application of clear inclusion and exclusion criteria, systematic literature searches using predefined keywords, and thematic synthesis of research findings. The results indicate that the major challenges in implementing child-friendly education include inadequate supporting facilities and infrastructure, limited teachers’ understanding and competencies regarding child-friendly education principles, weak policy implementation and monitoring, and insufficient parental and community involvement. Furthermore, the persistence of violence and bullying in school environments suggests that child-friendly education has not been optimally implemented. This study is expected to contribute both theoretically and practically by providing a comprehensive understanding of the existing challenges and offering insights for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders to strengthen the sustainable implementation of child-friendly education in primary schools.]]>
