Indonesia launches National STEM Program to boost education quality

The Indonesian Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has launched the National STEM Program to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education. The initiative aims to prepare Indonesian talent for the ‘Indonesia Emas 2045’ vision by improving high-level thinking skills and reducing educational quality gaps between regions.

During the launch in Kudus, Central Java, Director General of Teachers and Education Personnel Prof. Dr. Nunuk Suryani emphasized that STEM implementation must be adapted to the specific conditions and available resources of each educational unit. The program seeks to move away from the stigma that STEM is an expensive or difficult subject reserved for elite laboratories. Instead, the ministry is introducing STEM concepts as early as Early Childhood Education (PAUD) to foster critical thinking and problem-solving from a young age.

To support this rollout, the ministry is focusing on teacher training, the development of learning modules, and the curation of inspiring practices. Additionally, assistance has been provided to 50 elementary schools to develop ‘Ruang Karya’ (Workspaces) based on STEM learning. The program is designed to help students develop high adaptability and the ability to connect academic material to real-world local issues.