Education Ministry strengthens competencies of 118 vocational teachers from 11 provinces
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) is implementing an upskilling and reskilling programme for 118 vocational school (SMK) teachers from 11 provinces to ensure vocational education remains relevant to developments in the world of work and technology.
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti said in a written statement in Jakarta on Thursday that quality education does not only take place through formal schooling. Various educational pathways, including non-formal education, need to be given room to provide learning opportunities and develop people’s capabilities.
“Education is not only about schooling but the essence of education is learning. The essence of education is learning, not just schooling. The National Education System Law has already formulated a very comprehensive definition of the types of education: there is formal, informal and non-formal education. All are accommodated, all are given the opportunity to provide educational services because not everyone can attend formal school,” he said.
This principle also underpins the strengthening of vocational education. “Don’t always push SMK children towards office jobs with layers of job applications; give them a vision of entrepreneurship. Because it is their creativity and soft skills that should be encouraged. Hard skills, technical skills, will quickly become obsolete,” said the Minister.
The strengthening of this orientation is being realised through the development of more diverse SMKs that match regional potential. Mu’ti said local potential such as coffee, tea, patchouli and fisheries can be developed into areas of expertise at SMKs so that students are able to process the natural wealth of their regions through the skills they possess and generate higher economic value.
This strengthening covers not only technical skills but also the ability to face change. In this regard, Kemendikdasmen is implementing an upskilling and reskilling programme from 20 August to 2 September 2026, involving 118 teachers from 11 provinces.
The programme focuses on three areas of expertise: Light Vehicle Engineering, Motorcycle Engineering, and Computer and Network Engineering. Through workshops, industry visits and skills competency assessments, the activities are directed at improving teacher competence in line with industry technical standards, strengthening pedagogical competence and an entrepreneurial spirit, as well as the ability to adapt to project-based learning and deep learning integrated with digital technology, coding and artificial intelligence.