251 Students Visit Palace to Learn About History and Government System
Jakarta (ANTARA) - A total of 251 students from SMP Negeri 115 Jakarta visited the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Tuesday (14/4), as part of the implementation of the “Palace for School Children” programme, which aims to cultivate young people’s understanding of the nation’s history and the government system in Indonesia.
Quoted from the website of the Ministry of State Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia on Wednesday, during the material briefing session, Assistant Deputy for Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition in the Cabinet Support Secretariat of the Ministry of State Secretariat, Mohamad Arief Khumaidi, emphasised the importance of education and intelligence among the young generation in managing Indonesia’s wealth of natural resources.
He explained that Indonesia has great potential, both in terms of natural resources and the demographic bonus that serves as the nation’s strength. Therefore, the young generation needs to be prepared to manage that potential.
In addition, the students were introduced to various government priority programmes currently focused on improving the quality of education for the young generation from an early age.
These programmes include Free Nutritious Meals, People’s Schools, and Garuda Elite Schools, designed to support an educational ecosystem that can be accessed by anyone without exception for Indonesian children.
Through this introduction, the students are expected to understand that the government is continuously striving to present policies that favour the young generation as an investment towards an advanced Indonesia.
On the same occasion, the students were taken on a tour of several buildings within the Jakarta Presidential Palace environment.
The participants received explanations about the history of the establishment of Merdeka Palace and the State Palace. In addition, the students also had the opportunity to see directly the official meeting rooms, starting from the state guest reception room, the cabinet meeting room, to the President’s office used in the strategic policy-making process.
The interactive atmosphere of the event made the students enthusiastic about following the entire series of this outdoor learning.
“This event is very exciting and educational. We gained a lot of new information, including through educational videos about the ministries. This is a special experience because not everyone gets the chance to come here,” said Arshadzabi.
The Principal of SMP Negeri 115 Jakarta, Yulia Vistaria, who was present, expressed appreciation for the organisation of this programme, which is considered to provide valuable experiences for both students and teachers.
“This is an extraordinary experience. We hope that activities like this can continue, so that not only our school, but also other schools can enjoy the same benefits,” she said.
Furthermore, Yulia hopes that this activity can serve as a direct learning medium that can foster a love for the homeland and increase students’ learning motivation.
According to her, the experience of directly seeing national symbols can provide inspiration for the young generation to contribute to national development in the future.