Ministry of Education expands foreign language certification for SMK students

Jakarta — The Ministry of Education, Primary and Secondary (Kemendikdasmen) is prepared to organise the Foreign Language Certification for SMK Students in 2026 to open greater opportunities for SMK students who wish to work or pursue studies abroad. Minister of Education, Primary and Secondary (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti said SMK students have great potential to be an important part of Indonesia’s economic development, including at the global level. ‘We want Indonesian SMK graduates to have global competence and be able to compete in the international arena. They must be ready to work, to contribute, and to demonstrate the quality of the nation’s youth wherever they are,’ Mendikdasmen Abdul Mu’ti said in a written statement in Jakarta on Friday. The Foreign Language Certification – Non-English for SMK Students Year 2026 programme has provided access and reached more than 120 SMKs with a target of more than 13,000 students across various regions of Indonesia. Secondly, the English-language certification scheme via TOEIC. The government targets around 170,000 students from more than 800 SMKs across Indonesia. To support the program’s implementation, the Ministry is organising Technical Guidance for Government Assistance under the SMK Students Foreign Language Certification Year 2026 Phase 2 programme. ‘Language is a bridge to the future. Therefore SMK graduates must be confident to compete, not only at the local level but also internationally,’ he said. According to Tatang, the government wants to ensure SMK graduates are truly ready to face the challenges of the modern job market, not only possessing technical skills in their field but also having foreign-language abilities and strong soft skills. He added that the foreign language certification is presented as a ‘global passport’ so that SMK students have greater opportunities to work, intern, or pursue studies abroad.