Universal Participation Brings Early Childhood Education to Suku Anak Dalam

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has stated that universal participation has successfully brought quality Early Childhood Education (PAUD) services to the children of the Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) community in the forests of Bungo Regency, Jambi. According to a release issued by the ministry in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, mentoring for SAD children, which began in 2014, has successfully opened access to education for those who previously struggled to obtain schooling. The journey began with mentoring conducted by Ulvi Monica Aulia, a forestry graduate from Jambi University who joined as a community mentor for the SAD. Through a nature school concept that started in simple shelters and later developed into a learning house, over a decade of consistent mentoring has now led to the establishment of a pioneering inclusive PAUD for SAD children and the surrounding community. Together with the village government, she built a small library near the Pasir Putih Community Health Centre as a place for children to learn. Learning activities also took place at the mentor’s house, until finally, in 2023, Ghumah Belajo Bhetilek Elmu was established, which in the local Rimba language means ‘House of Learning to Seek Knowledge’. The community library now serves as a place for children to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic, complete school assignments, and participate in various daily development activities. She explained that SAD community members still face difficulties attending PAUD outside their community due to access issues and lingering stigma from some outsiders, which makes parents uncomfortable sending their children to external schools. Therefore, establishing a PAUD within the community is a highly strategic step, allowing children to receive early education in a safe environment, close to their families, while still respecting their culture. Building on these results, the community, together with the local government and various stakeholders, is now pioneering a PAUD to expand educational services for children within the community.