Banyuwangi Regency Receives Two Education Awards from Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology
The awards were given in recognition of efforts to develop education in the region. The two honours are the Appreciation for Commitment to Habituation of Great Indonesian Children and the Local Government with the Lowest Education Data Residue (Best Validity). The awards were presented by the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology at the National Education Day Celebration evening in Jakarta.
Minister Abdul Mu’ti explained that the government continues to build cultural infrastructure to strengthen character education. This includes seven habits for great Indonesian children, various programmes to enhance early childhood education, and compulsory 13 years of schooling from kindergarten to senior high school. “We provide ample opportunities for our children to showcase and develop their potential,” Mu’ti stated in a written release on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.
According to Banyuwangi Regent Ipuk Fiestiandani, the awards reflect the central government’s pride in the achievements of Banyuwangi’s talented children, spanning science and cultural arts. “This is recognition of the achievements and creativity of all outstanding Banyuwangi children. Congratulations to all Banyuwangi children, thank you for bringing honour to Banyuwangi,” said Ipuk.
Ipuk stated that the Banyuwangi Regency Government continues to facilitate students’ interests and talents, including numeracy programmes developed in collaboration with Professor Yohanes Surya. The ‘Smart Gasing’ initiative aims to introduce engaging mathematics learning to students in remote villages. The programme has produced outstanding students, such as Felicia Dahayu from SDN 1 Pesanggaran Primary School, who won a gold medal in coding at the 9th World Innovative Technology (WIT) Challenge at Chonnam National University, South Korea, on 2-3 November 2024.
“Not only in science, we also encourage our students’ interests in cultural arts, providing them with ample stage opportunities,” Ipuk added. “Programmes such as Padang Bulanan, which showcases student artistic creations monthly, and the recent Kuntulan Ewon performance during National Education Day celebrations, which involved over a thousand students,” she continued.
Ipuk also outlined the local government’s efforts to strengthen educators and the regional education system, including improving teacher welfare through the appointment of Government Employees with Employment Agreements (PPPK) and part-time PPPK teachers, alongside other innovative programmes.
Banyuwangi Education Department Head Alfian added that the regency’s success in receiving the Best Validity Local Government award was due to consistent data collection to monitor student education continuity. “This success is reflected in Banyuwangi’s 2025 Out-of-School Children (ATS) rate, which is among the five lowest in East Java. The Human Development Index (HDI) also rose to 75.17 in 2025,” he concluded.