VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim stated that the National Education Day is a momentum to revive the ideas of Ki Hajar Dewantara, Indonesia’s father of education.

“Starting today, the ideas of Indonesia’s father of education must be ingrained and revived in order to create a qualified education for all Indonesians and bring about a genuine independence of learning,” Makarim noted in his speech to the National Education Day here on Sunday.

Clad in traditional attire from Rote in East Nusa Tenggara to mark the 2021 National Education Day,  Makarim added that the ideas of Ki Hajar Dewantara has not been well-implemented for so long.

Education in Indonesia must lead to the revelation of mental happiness and life safety. The basic essence of education is to liberate human’s life, he emphasized.

“This is the right momentum for us to reflect what has been done optimally and what needs to be improved. A new chapter of Indonesia’s education means transformation, one that still refers to  people's history and also a bravery to create a new and bright history,” he highlighted.

Makarim expressed aspiration that Indonesian children can be the learners who hold tightly on Pancasila’s philosophy, the learners who are free throughout their lives, and the learners who are able to face the future confidently.

Hence, the ministry strives to transform the education with a breakthrough namely “Merdeka Belajar” (free to learn). Four steps to mirror the efforts of improvement are continually implemented by involving all elements of society.

The efforts of improvement encompasses infrastructure and technology, policy, procedure, funding, and autonomy grant for educational units.

“Since the beginning I served (as a minister) , including during the pandemic, ten episodes of Merdeka Belajar have been launched and more breakthroughs of it that we will continue to do,” he pointed out.

Such meaningful transformation has to be done to change from what makes this nation go nowhere to some leaps of advancement.

“From the bottom of my heart, the extended family of the ministry and I would like to thank you profusely,” he said.

The breakthroughs of Merdeka Belajar must entirely cover the public, starting from the educators and students from early childhood education to higher education. parents, people’s representatives, regional administrations, community organizations, business and industrial sectors, from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote Island,he pointed out.

“The pandemic crisis is a field of optimism waiting for being harvested. Crisis is a chance to reap the progress,”he noted.

Recently, some schools have resumed a restricted face-to-face learning, while others are still preparing for it.

He expressed spirit in seeing the public that are aware to move forward and do some leaps in pursuit of advancement without doubts, by surely paying attention to the safety and security.

“We need to understand that the pandemic is not the only challenge we are facing. In the near future, there must be abundant of challenges we need to meet together. Let us meet the challenges with innovations and solutions,” he remarked.

“Let us make a bright history that the world cannot deny. Merdeka Belajar can be quickly realized if we educate, take care, and love each other for one goal— the top-notch human resources, Onward Indonesia,” he added.

The 2021 national education day commemoration is organized on topic “Moving Together, Realizing Merdeka Belajar”. (Antaranews)