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Ungaran kids learn about pluralism through visit to temple
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Children from the Momico and Kucica early childhood education centers in Ungaran, Central Java, visit the popular Tay Kak Sie Chinese temple in Semarang, a day before the Chinese New Year. (JP/Suherdjoko)
S
ome 30 students from early childhood education centers (PAUD) in Ungaran, Central Java, learned to internalize pluralist values through visiting a temple and other schools ahead of the Chinese New Year celebration.
The students from the Momico and Kucica education centers visited the popular Tay Kak Sie temple in the city of Semarang on Friday to witness prayer rituals and learn about the symbols used during the lunar New Year celebration.
“They are learning to understand pluralism from an early age,” PAUD Momico headmaster Ertania Johana Maryasmara said.
“Every day we teach them, in a language they understand, that Indonesia is a country with plural cultures, human beings and religions. In this moment, we took the children to directly experience New Year celebrations [by visiting] the temple and seeing what angpao looks like,” she said, referring to the custom of giving out red envelopes containing money during celebrations.
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Earlier on Friday, they also visited the predominantly ethnic Chinese Sinar Matahari kindergarten in Semarang. They also received angpao from an elderly citizen, Tan Ek Joen, 75, at the Boen Hian Tong building in Semarang's Chinatown.
