By Puryadi
When I first became the principal of a primary school in Pesisir Barat District, Lampung Province, I quickly realized something important. Even though I was busy every single day, I wasn’t really stepping into my role as a learning leader. I was full of paperwork, reports, and attendance sheets. All of that kept me stuck in routines and pulled me away from what truly mattered: creating meaningful learning experiences for students.
At the time, the school felt like it had no clear direction. Teachers were teaching, but often without reflection. The connection between teachers, students, and parents felt distant. I carried the responsibility alone and didn’t feel I had the tools or support to drive real change. My leadership was more about administration than transformation.
Things started to shift when our school was selected to join the KREASI Program in its first year.
The KREASI Program is a strategic initiative of the Government of Indonesia, supported by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) through the Multiplier Grant. It focuses on early childhood and primary education, with the goal of improving foundational skills and strengthening child protection. In Pesisir Barat, it’s implemented by Save the Children Indonesia together with Yayasan Guru Belajar (YGB).
Through KREASI, I joined the School Leadership and Management Training. That experience completely changed my role. I began to understand that being a principal isn’t just about managing the day-to-day. It’s about leading change, inspiring people, and building a culture where everyone works together.
The training helped me see the value of using real data to make decisions, and how important it is to create space for teachers and parents to be involved. I started shifting how I led the school. Alongside the teachers, we built a shared vision. We reached out to parents and invited them to be more involved in their children’s learning, not just as supporters, but as partners.
It didn’t happen overnight, but slowly things began to change. The energy at school felt different. The teachers were more reflective. Students were more engaged. Parents were more connected. Learning started to feel more intentional, more collaborative.
Now, we have a shared dream. We want our school to be a place that not only teaches knowledge but also builds character and nurtures a love for learning.
There’s still a lot of work to do. But one thing I’ve learned is that the school we hope for isn’t one without problems. It’s one that keeps learning, keeps growing, and keeps moving forward together.
Author: Puryadi (Primary School Principal in Pesisir Barat) & Rikson Simanjuntak (KREASI District Representative for Pesisir Barat)
Editor & Translator: Laras Sabila Putri (KREASI Communication and Media Manager)