He delivered the message while leading the 2026 National Education Day commemoration ceremony at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on Saturday morning.
“To our students, keep learning, asking questions, practicing, and creating. Do not be afraid to dream big. Indonesia’s future is not inherited, it is built through your character, knowledge, collaboration, and the courage to take action,” the minister said.
He added that the commemoration serves as a momentum to reaffirm the goals of education as a means to humanize individuals, build character, enlighten the life of the nation, and advance civilization.
The minister said Ki Hajar Dewantara had passed down educational values through principles of guidance, compassion, and teaching, which must be sustained to develop intelligence, foster empathy, and guide students to become well-rounded individuals.
“Education is not just about knowledge, but about who we become,” he emphasized.
He also called on all higher education institutions to contribute to achieving national independence through the development of research and innovation.
He said national education must be built within a comprehensive and sustainable ecosystem so that knowledge can be translated into innovation.
He stressed that Indonesia should no longer merely be a user of knowledge, but must become a creator of knowledge capable of producing world-class scientists.
“Our aspiration to produce world-class scientists from within the nation is not the agenda of a single level of education, but the result of a long journey of national education, beginning with learning in schools and deepened in universities by lecturers and researchers,” he said.
“This also requires support from the entire national ecosystem,” he added.
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Translator: Hana Dewi Kinarina Kaban, Katriana
Editor: Primayanti
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