Ministry introduces mandatory early education curriculum structure

 The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has set out the mandatory curriculum structure for early childhood education (PAUD) to support 13 years of compulsory education and one year of pre-school education.

The ministry's Director General of Early Childhood Education, Basic Education, and Non-Formal and Informal Education, Gogot Suharwoto, said the curriculum structure consists of intracurricular and co-curricular activities, which serve as the foundation for developing the eight dimensions of the graduate profile, including at the PAUD level.

"The implementation of these activities in PAUD forms the foundation for developing the eight dimensions of the graduate profile that children are expected to achieve during their time in PAUD, which is currently the direction of national policy," he remarked on Tuesday.

In the intracurricular section, the ministry designs core learning activities to develop students' foundational skills, with learning outcomes covering religious values and character, identity, and the basics of literacy, mathematics, science, technology, and the arts.

He further noted that the institution integrates a deep learning approach to make learning more meaningful by connecting scientific ideas with students’ daily experiences.

Therefore, learning resources at PAUD level can utilize various objects commonly found in the students' environment, in addition to using children's books and child-friendly technology as non-tangible learning resources.

"This aims to build a solid foundation for school readiness and student success at the next level of education," Suharwoto noted.

For special needs kindergartens (TKLB), the ministry has designed core intraclass learning activities that emphasize meaningful play, allowing children to explore and develop their character and competencies.

These meaningful play activities also have a therapeutic effect, stimulating delayed developmental aspects in students with special needs, he continued.

Regarding the co-curricular aspect, Suharwoto said the ministry has developed additional learning activities aimed at strengthening efforts to achieve graduate profiles, referring to the Child Development Achievement Level Standards (STPPA) for early childhood education and equivalents.

According to him, the one-year compulsory preschool education policy aims to prepare all children for learning by building a stronger, more comprehensive foundation in character, social-emotional development, and literacy.