Cooperative Education to be Integrated into Central Java School Curriculum

The Minister of Cooperatives, Ferry Juliantono, has expressed his appreciation for the Central Java province for its plan to insert cooperative studies into the educational curriculum, ranging from primary school to senior high school levels. The teaching of cooperatives is expected to make the younger generation more familiar with the cooperative system, preventing them from being solely influenced by liberal-capitalistic economic systems.

“Indeed, Indonesia’s national economy, as previously stated by the Governor, is an economy based on Pancasila principles in accordance with the 1945 Constitution, specifically the articles within Article 33,” said Ferry while attending the launch of the Central Java Cooperative Education Insertion event at the Gradhika Bakti Praja Building, Semarang, on Friday (5/6/2026).

Ferry noted that Central Java is the first province to implement the insertion of cooperative education into its curriculum, covering both formal and religion-based education. This initiative has already received approval from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education as well as the Ministry of Religious Affairs. He expressed hope that the teaching of cooperatives could be implemented swiftly.

“It is hoped that this can be applied and re-understood by our younger generation, to restore the economy away from liberal-capitalistic models and the values that accompany them—values such as greed, individualism, and self-interest,” Ferry added.

According to him, it is vital that education instils the values of ‘gotong-royong’ (mutual cooperation), togetherness, and kinship, as envisioned by the nation’s founders. They intended for cooperatives to serve as the main pillar of the national economy.