Presidential Palace Programme Invites 300 Students to Learn History First-Hand

A total of 300 students from SMA Negeri 46 Jakarta and SMP Negeri 15 Jakarta took part in the ‘Istana untuk Anak Sekolah’ (Palace for Schoolchildren) programme at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, to learn about history and the governance process first-hand. According to information from the Press, Media, and Information Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat, the participants toured the Presidential Palace complex, including the Merdeka Palace and the State Palace, and received explanations regarding the history, functions, and significant value of the buildings. The programme is designed as an out-of-classroom learning tool so that students can understand national history, state symbols, and the administration of government through direct experience. Head of SMP Negeri 15 Jakarta, Nuryanti, stated that the activity provided a more contextual learning experience because students could see first-hand the locations of various state events that they had previously only studied in books or through the media. ‘Usually, children only get a theoretical picture or see it on television. When they see it directly, they better understand the function of each room and state activity,’ she said. One participant, Defania, a 10th-grade student from SMA Negeri 46 Jakarta, admitted that the visit was her first experience entering the Presidential Palace and it broadened her knowledge of the State Palace’s history. Meanwhile, Mutiara, a 9th-grade student from SMP Negeri 15 Jakarta, said the architecture and spatial arrangement of the Presidential Palace complex further motivated her to pursue her ambition of becoming an architect. The Istana untuk Anak Sekolah programme provides students with the opportunity to learn about history, state symbols, and the process of governance through direct visits to the Jakarta Presidential Palace complex as part of outdoor learning.