TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Education ministry calls for cross-country collaboration to tackle learning lag
Change Size
I
n its role as ASEAN chair in 2023, Indonesia has outlined issues that need to be prioritized in the bloc’s agenda. Among other topics, the country has spotlighted the acceleration of the transformation of early childhood education (PAUD).
Calling on all member countries to collaborate, Indonesia reminded the region to strengthen its shared commitment to improving children’s education and bring an end to the lag in learning and development in early childhood, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of its commitment to PAUD, the government, through the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry, continues to be consistent in modifying the curriculum to make it more responsive to new challenges, develop more varied learning methods and open opportunities for multi-sector collaboration involving the private sector.
The new initiative was explained by the director general for early childhood, elementary and secondary education, Iwan Syahril, in the Early Childhood Education Policy Dialogue in ASEAN or the Southeast Asia Policy Dialogue on Early Childhood Care and Education (SEA PD on ECCE) forum. The forum was held in Jakarta on Tuesday and was attended by education ministers from 11 Southeast Asian countries, ambassadors from Southeast Asian countries to Indonesia and hundreds of delegates.
Iwan said it was necessary to design a curriculum that had resilience in supporting sustainable development, as well as one that taught children about the current global society, gender equality, climate change and inclusive education so as to support the availability of PAUD services that were resilient in facing various challenges in the future.
“I hope that today's conference will be an opportunity for ASEAN countries to unite various ideas by sharing good practices in the provision of quality early childhood services. Together we can build a better future, starting with a stronger commitment to improving the quality of PAUD services," said Iwan, noting that the conference was part of a policy dialogue in Southeast Asia on PAUD.
This is Indonesia’s fifth time hosting ASEAN. The country’s previous chairmanship of the bloc was in 2011. This year, the country chose the theme, "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth", which expresses Indonesia's hope of raising the relevance and role of ASEAN in regional and global progress.
On Tuesday, Indonesia, through the education ministry, supported by the ASEAN Secretariat and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Center for Early Childhood Care Education and Parenting (SEAMEO CECCEP), welcomed the arrival of 200 participants consisting of education ministers, ambassadors from Southeast Asian countries, as well as hundreds of delegates and speakers at the St. Regis Jakarta for the conference.
Prior to this discussion, the education ministry also had the pleasure of leading the Group of 20 Working Group on Education, as Indonesia acted as the group’s president in 2022, before handing over the reins to India. Through international forums, the ministry highlighted the Merdeka Belajar (freedom to learn) curriculum, which transforms and strengthens mutual cooperation and commitment in efforts to accelerate the transformation of PAUD and recover from the learning and growth lag after the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, in the spirit of gotong royong (mutual cooperation), Indonesia reiterates the need for collaboration between all stakeholders in order to ensure success.
To tackle the setback that was brought on by the pandemic, the ministry proposed a few solutions, such as the provision and implementation of quality early childhood education that is inclusive through proper planning, monitoring and evaluation.
The process of transitioning from PAUD to elementary school, as an important part of the Merdeka Belajar program, is also vital in determining the success of the PAUD transformation and should be done delicately and as easily as possible for the students. Another main focus of particular concern is ensuring the collaboration of the PAUD ecosystem, including schools, local government, teachers, parents and the community.
If there is one thing that has always been implemented in ASEAN, it is the cross-country cooperation that has been witnessed by Indonesia and other member countries in the region. Iwan expressed his appreciation to the speakers involved in the plenary and parallel sessions who came, both locally and from other countries, such as New Zealand, Japan, Canada, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Furthermore, Iwan also expressed his gratitude to the entire committee, consisting of the ASEAN Secretariat, the Directorate of Early Childhood Education, the Directorate General of PDM Ministry of Education and Culture, SEAMEO CECCEP, the TANOTO Foundation and the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC).
"I realize that without good cooperation, it would be impossible for us to hold this event. Without the commitment and high enthusiasm of the committee, the first ECCE conference and declaration at the ministerial level in the Southeast Asia region would not have been possible. Therefore, I really appreciate the involvement of all ladies and gentlemen in this conference," he said.
The education ministry, representing Indonesia, hopes that the participants can make the Regional Consultation Meeting on Declaration on Early Childhood Care and Education forum a part of the PAUD Policy Dialogue in ASEAN a productive space to collaborate with each other in transforming and improving the quality of PAUD services in the Southeast Asian region.
