"The current problem is that students are smart and competent, but their character is lacking. This must be one of our focuses in the education (field)," Hartono said when giving a speech at the Astra Education Festival 2023 at the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah Park, here on Sunday.
He said the Jakarta provincial government and the central government have synergized to welcome the expected nation's golden age in 2045.
In supporting that, the government provides facilities or assistance for students, such as the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) that can be obtained by students from kindergarten to college levels.
"Students who aged 18 today will lead Indonesia in 2045," he remarked at the event attended by one thousand students.
According to him, education is the way to create a competent and professional workforce.
On the same occasion, the Director General of Vocational Education at the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry, Kiki Yuliati, emphasized the importance of presenting project-based learning, especially for vocational students.
She said students should not only be given the learning tools but also the relevancy or understanding of learning.
"In the future, students should not only be given tools or facilities according to their respective majors but also given context," Yuliati explained.
Indonesia will face a demographic bonus, hence, it is important to manage education well, she said.
"If we fail to manage it, it will become a demographic disaster," she said.
According to her, vocational students need to "learn how to learn" and "learn how to think". "These dimensions need to be sharpened," she added.
In addition, she considered partnerships between education and the industry to be important.
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Translator: Redemptus S, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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