Jakarta (ANTARA) \u2013 Head of the Indonesian Government Communications\nAgency (Bakom), Syahganda Nainggolan, said the government considers\ncharacter-building an important part of preparing Indonesia\u2019s younger\ngeneration for the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe state regards young people\u2019s character as the starting point for\nprogress. The government is shaping a generation that does not give up\nin the face of difficulty or crumble after failure. The state is opening\na path for young people to dare to dream big and work as hard as\npossible to give their best to the nation,\u201d Syahganda said in a\nstatement received in Jakarta on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The commitment is reflected in a range of programmes designed to meet\nthe needs of young people at different stages of life, from ensuring\nchildren grow up healthy and widening access to education, to providing\nsuitable, modern learning spaces and equipping new graduates with work\nexperience and opportunities to enter global markets.<\/p>\n
Developing a high-quality generation begins with meeting basic needs,\nincluding nutrition. Through the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme,\nthe government aims to support children\u2019s growth and development while\nstrengthening their readiness to participate in education.<\/p>\n
According to National Nutrition Agency data as of 9 October 2026, MBG\nhad reached 57.5 million beneficiaries through 26,385 Nutrition\nFulfilment Service Units (SPPG). They included 46.2 million students,\n3.9 million teachers and education staff, and 7.4 million people in\nvulnerable groups: 4.9 million young children, 1.8 million breastfeeding\nmothers and 700,000 pregnant women.<\/p>\n
The government aims to increase the programme\u2019s reach to 72.4 million\nbeneficiaries in 2027. With that coverage, MBG is one of the measures\nintended to ensure that nutritional needs do not prevent children from\ngrowing, learning and developing their potential.<\/p>\n
The government is also widening educational opportunities through the\nSekolah Rakyat (People\u2019s Schools) programme. It provides access to\neducation for children from the poorest families while helping ease the\nburden on parents facing financial constraints.<\/p>\n
As of 23 September 2026, Sekolah Rakyat was operating at 182\nlocations, with more than 90 sites based in permanent buildings and\nserving around 44,000 students.<\/p>\n
The number of students is expected to rise to more than 150,000 in\n2027. The government also aims to build 500 permanent Sekolah Rakyat\nschools by 2029.<\/p>\n
Through its boarding-school model, the programme gives students not\nonly the opportunity to study but also support with daily necessities.\nChildren can attend school without the burden of education, food or\naccommodation costs.<\/p>\n
Efforts to widen access to education are being accompanied by\nimprovements to educational facilities. The government is renovating\nschools to create safer and more comfortable learning environments for\nstudents and teachers.<\/p>\n
A total of 16,167 schools were renovated during 2025. Renovation work\nat 11,744 schools in 2026 was about 70 per cent complete. At President\nPrabowo\u2019s direction, the renovation target has been expanded to 71,744\nschools.<\/p>\n
The government is also promoting learning that is more responsive to\ntechnological developments through its education digitisation programme.\nDuring 2025, digital interactive whiteboards were distributed to 288,865\neducational institutions across Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In 2026, each school is receiving three additional units, with the\naim of equipping four classrooms at every school with an interactive\nwhiteboard.<\/p>\n
The technology is expected to help teachers deliver lessons more\ninteractively and make it easier for students to understand the\nmaterial. With this support, children across Indonesia are expected to\nhave more equal access to the knowledge and skills needed for further\neducation or entry into the workforce.<\/p>\n
After strengthening the foundations of education, the government is\nturning its attention to helping new graduates transition into work.<\/p>\n
Through the National Internship Programme, the government aims to\naddress common challenges faced by first-time jobseekers. Participants\nreceive an allowance equivalent to the relevant regency or municipal\nminimum wage, as well as a competency certificate to help them enter the\njob market.<\/p>\n
The programme has also begun to produce employment outcomes. Around\n30,000 participants in the 2025 internship programme have been hired as\npermanent employees by the companies where they completed their\nplacements.<\/p>\n
Opportunities for young talent are also being extended to\ninternational labour markets through the SMK Go Global programme. The\nPresident launched the initiative to prepare skilled workers to take up\njobs overseas through legal and safe channels.<\/p>\n
Since applications opened on 12 August 2026, the programme has\nreached 7,239 participants, against a target of 40,000 for this year. In\nthe longer term, the government aims to prepare 500,000 people by 2029,\ncomprising 300,000 vocational-school graduates and 200,000 members of\nthe general public.<\/p>\n
The programme is part of efforts to broaden career choices for\nIndonesia\u2019s younger generation. With skills tailored to labour-market\nneeds and adequate preparation, vocational education graduates are\nexpected to compete internationally.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bakom-character-building-is-vital-to-preparing-the-next-generation-1793192001", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }