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The Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE school partnerships program, together with officials from the West Sumatra Education and Religious Affairs Offices in Padang, West Sumatera. (Photo : Australian Embassy) - 

VOInews, Padang : Teachers and school leaders from the Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE school partnerships program, together with officials from the West Sumatra Education and Religious Affairs Offices, gathered for a workshop on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Climate Change Education on 11-12 December in Padang, West Sumatra.

The workshop aimed to equip educators from West Sumatra Province with the knowledge and skills required to support inclusive, environmentally-conscious learning environments.

“The BRIDGE program aims to build connections between Indonesian and Australian school communities, with Indonesian and Australian educators learning together to make their schools more inclusive and responsive to climate change,” said Chloe Ashbolt, Counsellor Public Affairs at the Australian Embassy Indonesia.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Monday December 16th 2024, the workshop included a panel discussion featuring teachers who are members of the Indonesian Disability Association (Perkumpulan Penyandang Disabilitas Indonesia), who shared GEDSI best practice in schools.

“Climate education often fails to consider the needs of people with disabilities,” said Cucu Saidah, Associate Consultant at CBM Global Disability Inclusion, and one of the speakers at the workshop.

“It is crucial to ensure that the needs of individuals with disabilities are considered when addressing the impacts of climate change.” Cucu added. 

The Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE School Partnerships Program has established 253 school partnerships between Indonesian and Australian schools since 2008. The BRIDGE program is funded by the Australian Government//VOI