The most important thing is building an educational ecosystem capable of producing adaptive and multitasking graduates,Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education stated that its school revitalization program for vocational high schools (SMK) has absorbed dozens of workers, most of whom come from communities surrounding the schools.
Director General of Secondary and Special Education, Tatang Muttaqin, said the school revitalization program, including at the SMK level, is implemented through a self-managed scheme that involves local workers.
“In a single school project alone, the number of workers involved can reach between 22 and 34 people. So, the economic impact is directly felt in the region,” he said during a discussion here on Tuesday.
Speaking at the discussion titled Real Impacts of School Revitalization and Literacy Strengthening Through Comfortable Library Facilities at the National Library of Indonesia, he said the SMK revitalization program also uses construction materials purchased from areas surrounding the schools.
He added that the ministry is also working to develop a vocational education system aligned with industry and labor market needs.
“Vocational education revitalization is not only about physical construction. The most important thing is building an educational ecosystem capable of producing adaptive and multitasking graduates,” he said.
He noted that limited practical training facilities remain a major issue in many vocational schools, even though vocational education heavily emphasizes hands-on practice and project-based learning.
According to him, around 60 percent of vocational schools in Indonesia previously lacked adequate practice rooms.
As a result, many schools have had to divide study hours into afternoon sessions due to limited classroom and practice facilities.
Therefore, the ministry is also focusing the revitalization program on building new practice rooms to optimize the learning process.
The ministry expressed optimism that vocational education in Indonesia will no longer focus solely on theory, but will also produce tangible works and products that can be further developed.
Related news: Indonesian ministries partner to enhance migrant worker quality
Related news: Indonesia pushes 4.0 skills to strengthen manufacturing workforce
Translator: Hana, Kenzu
Editor: M Razi Rahman
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
