North Maluku Education Chief Leads Independence Ceremony on Remote Island

Kepala Dinas Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Kadikbud) Provinsi Maluku Utara Abubakar Abdullah acted as the ceremony inspector during the commemoration of the 81st Anniversary of Indonesian Independence on a remote island on Monday, 17 August 2026. The ceremony, held at SMA Kristen Posi-Posi Rau on Rao Island, Pulau Morotai Regency, was attended by primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary school students, teachers, and officials from the North Maluku Provincial Education and Culture Office together with the Morotai Island Education Branch Office.

“We want children on remote islands to feel that they are not alone. The state is present and the government is present with them,” said Abubakar. His presence on Rao Island was also a follow-up to the directive of North Maluku Governor Sherly Tjoanda Laos, who asked education officials to be directly present and accompany students in remote areas during the independence commemoration.

To reach SMA Kristen Posi-Posi Rau, the group, consisting of the head of the office, heads of divisions, functional officials, and staff, had to undertake a fairly long journey. From Daruba, the capital of Pulau Morotai Regency, the education office group travelled overland to Wasbula, South West Morotai, for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The journey then continued by boat to Posi-Posi Rau. This journey illustrates the challenges of educational access in the island region of North Maluku.

SMA Kristen Posi-Posi Rau does not only accommodate students from the local area. A number of students come from neighbouring islands, including Saminyamau. To attend school, they must cross the sea by boat. Some are accompanied by their parents, while others must row themselves.

Abubakar said that for them, going to school is not a simple matter. “They must cross the sea. But their enthusiasm for learning never fades,” he said.

Abubakar then described the course of the independence ceremony on the remote island. According to him, the ceremony was not merely a ceremonial activity. The government’s presence among the students is also part of an effort to instil nationalism while ensuring that children in island regions feel the presence of the state. “On a remote island we raise the red and white flag. In schools we instil nationalism,” he said.

Geographical distance, he continued, must not make children on remote islands feel far from Indonesia. “The sea may separate islands, but it must not separate the aspirations of Indonesian children,” he said.

According to him, children in remote areas have the same right to obtain quality education and develop their potential. Therefore, equitable education services must reach all regions, including remote islands.

In addition to leading the ceremony, the North Maluku Education Office delegation brought computer assistance from Governor Sherly Tjoanda Laos for SMA Kristen Posi-Posi Rau. The assistance is expected to support the learning process while opening students’ access to technology and information.

“We came not only for the ceremony. We also wanted to see firsthand the condition of the school, hear the needs of the children and teachers, and bring support that can help the learning process,” said Abubakar.