KREASI Tanggamus held a series of intensive training sessions on 29 January 2026. The activity forms part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the quality of basic education, particularly within schools and madrasahs in Tanggamus.
The training was designed comprehensively, encompassing three main agendas. First, the Career Development Training for Prospective Elementary School Principals based on Leadership Competencies. Second, Strengthening School Capacity through the Sudut Literasi Anak (Sultan) Program. Third, the Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Campaign, which emphasizes raising public awareness of the importance of Early Childhood Education (PAUD).
Suardi, Director of the KREASI Program at LP Ma’arif PBNU, emphasized that national education transformation must not stop at central-level policies but must reach the grassroots. According to him, improving the quality of education personnel—especially teachers and principals—is the key foundation for ensuring children’s right to quality and equitable education.
“The KREASI Program is here to ensure that educational transformation does not only occur at the center, but truly reaches the regions,” he stated. He added that the program focuses on creating safe, inclusive, and high-quality learning environments through strengthening human resources that are adaptive to changes in the national curriculum.
He further stressed that school principals are not merely administrators, but instructional leaders who play a strategic role in building a healthy, collaborative school culture that prioritizes students’ needs. One crucial issue highlighted in the training was creating a joyful transition from PAUD to primary school. This transition period often becomes a challenge for children, especially when they experience a drastic shift from the play-based environment of PAUD to the more formal learning setting of primary school. Therefore, teachers are encouraged to act as facilitators who can bridge play-based approaches into primary school learning without imposing excessive academic pressure.
Participants were encouraged to understand that children’s readiness to enter primary school should not be measured solely by their ability to read, write, and count. Emotional and social readiness, as well as self-confidence in adapting to a new environment, are equally important. In this context, teachers hold significant responsibility in creating child-friendly and literacy-supportive classroom atmospheres. To ensure that the transition from PAUD to primary school does not become a stressful experience, schools are expected to provide inclusive, enjoyable learning spaces that nurture the joy of learning. One initiative is the Sudut Literasi Anak (Sultan) Program.
The Sultan Program serves as a practical instrument to support literacy-based learning habits that are easy to implement in classrooms. Through attractive and child-friendly reading corners, students are encouraged to interact naturally with books and reading materials. The program is expected to help children adapt to the primary school environment in an enjoyable way, foster early reading interest, and build self-confidence without psychological pressure.
The sustainability of the program depends greatly on the commitment and dedication of teachers and principals in applying the good practices gained during the training. The activity concluded with the development of a Follow-Up Action Plan (RTL). The preparation of this plan aims to ensure that synergy between strengthened school leadership, the development of a literacy culture, and increased social awareness of the importance of PAUD can continue sustainably and generate tangible improvements in the quality of education in Tanggamus Regency.
_____
The Program of KREASI or Kolaborasi untuk Edukasi Anak Indonesia (Collaboration for the Education of Indonesian Children) is funded by the Global Partnership for Education, developed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. KREASI in Tanggamus is being implemented by Save the Children and local implementing partner Lembaga Pendidikan Ma’arif NU, support by the Government of Tanggamus with aims to improve the quality of education in Indonesia by strengthening teaching, learning, and student development.
_____
Writer: Ade Erlangga | Editor: Nabila Aulia | Photo: Ade Erlangga/KREASI/LP Ma’arif NU/Save the Children