Cooperative Education to be Integrated into Primary to Senior High School Curriculum in Central Java

The Head of the Office of Cooperatives and SMEs for Central Java Province (Jateng), Eddy Sulistiyo Bramianto, said that the curricula for primary and secondary schools in Central Java for the 2026/2027 academic year would include cooperative education (koperasi). The aim is for students to recognise a people-centred economy and shared prosperity.

‘The insertion of cooperative education will be included in the curriculum. The curriculum is already in place,’ Eddy said during an interview in Semarang on Thursday, 21 May 2026.

He added that cooperative education could be embedded in several subjects, such as social studies (IPS), Pancasila education, Indonesian language, and even mathematics. ‘The insertion of cooperative education is to increase understanding of cooperatives among our pupils from class IV of primary to class XII. So how our children can recognise the system of a people-centred economy, mutual aid, collaboration and the end result is shared prosperity,’ he said.

Eddy said that cooperative education would be taught gradually according to level. ‘If the primary level, it will only introduce what a cooperative is. Then the organisational structure at the SMP level. Then cooperative entrepreneurship at the level of MAN, SMA, SMK,’ he added.

According to Eddy, currently cooperative material in the curriculum is still limited. That also encourages the insertion of cooperative education. ‘We want this intake to be received by pupils of SD, SMP, MI, MTs, SMK, SMA, and MAN. This is so that our children from the outset are truly given them an understanding of the people’s economy, mutual cooperation, and so on,’ he said.

He revealed that the insertion of cooperative education would be implemented as soon as possible. ‘If we target it for the next academic year, yes,’ Eddy said.

Eddy explained that the drafting of the insertion of cooperative education for students at SD-SMA and equivalent levels in Central Java had begun since October 2025. Not only teacher representatives, those involved in the process include the Central Java Education Office, the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Central Java, and a team of experts from the Central Java Department for Cooperatives and UKM.

According to Eddy, Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi plans to launch cooperative education in the SD-SMA and equivalent curricula in Central Java at the beginning of June 2026.