Celebrating Hardiknas 2026, Batam Blends Education and Malay Culture
The commemoration of National Education Day (Hardiknas) 2026 in Batam City was lively and full of communal spirit. A total of 5,120 primary and secondary school students from across Batam City filled Dataran Engku Putri, Batamcentre, on Monday, 11 May 2026, to perform a mass Zapin Ngenang dance alongside Batam Mayor Amsakar Achmad and Deputy Mayor Li Claudia Chandra.
Thousands of students dressed in Malay attire danced in unison with great enthusiasm. The performance created a festive atmosphere in the city government’s central area while serving as a symbol of preserving local culture among the younger generation.
The excitement intensified when Amsakar and Li Claudia joined in with the students. Chair of the Batam City TP PKK, Erlita Amsakar, along with members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), also danced together in a friendly atmosphere.
Before the mass dance began, the Hardiknas commemoration started with a flag-raising ceremony led by Amsakar as the inspecting officer. On that occasion, he stated that education is a process carried out with sincerity, love, and guidance to nurture the best potential in every child of the nation.
He emphasised that education not only aims to enlighten the nation’s life but also to build strong character and civilisation. Therefore, improving education quality must begin in the classrooms where learning takes place. “If we want to advance the nation, education must be strengthened. And if we want to improve education, reforms must start from within the classroom,” he continued.
Amsakar also conveyed that the quality of human resources in Batam City continues to show improvement. This is reflected in the rise of Batam’s Human Development Index (HDI) from 83.32 in 2024 to 83.80 in 2025. “This achievement is the result of collective efforts by all education stakeholders in Batam City, from teachers, educators, parents, to students,” he said.
As a form of support for the education sector, the Batam City Government continues the free school uniform assistance programme for new primary and secondary school students, both in public and private schools. The assistance includes complete national uniforms with accessories and Malay kurung uniforms to strengthen local cultural identity.
Closing the 2026 Hardiknas commemoration, Amsakar invited all elements of society to continue strengthening collaboration to realise quality and equitable education for all the nation’s children. “Through the spirit of togetherness, let us realise an education that can produce intelligent, characterful generations who make the region and nation proud,” he concluded.