Transmigration Ministry Invites Education Ministry to Synergise TEP and Volunteer Teaching Programmes

The Ministry of Transmigration (Kementrans) has invited the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) to synergise its Relawan Mengajar (Volunteer Teaching) programme with the 2026 Patriot Expedition Team (TEP) assignments. Deputy Minister of Transmigration Viva Yoga Mauladi stated that the first phase of the TEP programme, which involves young Indonesian academics addressing problems and developing economic potential in transmigration areas, was carried out in 2025 with participants from seven partner state universities. This year, the programme will dispatch bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree holders, as well as professors, from 10 partner state universities and 157 domestic and international universities, including the University of Melbourne, the University of Glasgow, and King’s College London. “It is within this scope that the Relawan Mengajar programme can be synergised,” he said. He also offered the education ministry the opportunity to introduce the Relawan Mengajar programme during a briefing session for 1,476 selected TEP 2026 participants, planned for the end of July. Beyond TEP, Viva Yoga noted that school facility renovation is another Kementrans programme that could be collaborated on with the education ministry. He explained that his ministry has already renovated toilets at two educational institutions in Gorontalo Province: SDN 10 Pulubala in Pulubala District, Gorontalo Regency, and SDN 14 Sumalata in the Sumalata Transmigration Area, North Gorontalo Regency. Meanwhile, SD Inpres 13 in the Prafi Transmigration Area, Manokwari Regency, West Papua Province, received assistance for classroom, toilet, and clean water facility renovations. “What Kementrans has done is expected to improve the education process for transmigrant children and other children residing in transmigration areas,” the Deputy Minister said. He added that tens of thousands of educational institutions, from early childhood education to senior high school levels, require construction or renovation of proper toilet facilities, and there are also proposals to build official residences for teachers. The ministry hopes to establish inter-ministerial cooperation to address these issues, particularly in schools within transmigration and frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged (3T) regions.