Indonesia, Singapore bolster partnership on future education
In their meeting, they also renewed the MoU on education and strengthened access to education for students.
According to Mu’ti on Sunday, Indonesia faces significant challenges as an archipelagic nation with more than 50 million students, many of whom live in remote areas.
In line with the Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s policies, the Ministry is promoting the adoption of more flexible technology-based distance learning to broaden access to education and help reduce disparities in educational services across regions.
“We can utilise technology to provide internet access and also AI as part of a strategy to close the gap between students in cities and remote areas,” Minister Mu’ti remarked in a statement.
He views the use of AI should be accompanied by efforts to strengthen students’ critical and reflective thinking, noting the technology still has limitations and cannot fully replace human understanding of language, culture, and local contexts.
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On the occasion, Mu’ti also offered opportunities for collaboration with Temasek and Singaporean companies operating in Indonesia to improve the quality of education, especially for students in regions adjacent to Singapore, such as Sumatra, including addressing the challenge of learning loss.
The two ministers also discussed efforts to improve the competencies of Indonesian educators and migrant workers to enhance their professionalism while working in Singapore.
Minister Lee then initiated the renewal of the MoU on education cooperation, last agreed in 2017.
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He noted that technological advances, AI, and a range of global challenges call for more adaptive and forward-looking cooperation, especially as Indonesia and Singapore prepare to mark the 60th anniversary of their bilateral relations in 2027.
“Much has changed since 2017, particularly in technology, AI, and global priorities. On the domestic front, we are taking the opportunity to update the MoU to be more adaptive and future-oriented for Indonesia-Singapore cooperation,” he conveyed.
In addition to discussing the use of technology and strengthening education cooperation, the two ministers also discussed the future of the Indonesian School of Singapore (SIS), whose site will expire in April 2027.
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Translator: Hana Dewi Kinarina, Resinta Sulistiyandari