Gibran calls for robotics education to reach special needs schools

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka received a delegation from the Indonesian Smart Technology Society (Masyarakat Teknologi Cerdas Indonesia/MTCI) at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.According to an official statement, Gibran stressed that the development of robotics education should not be limited to mainstream schools, but must also reach Islamic boarding schools and special needs schools.

“The vice president is paying particular attention to ensuring that special needs schools in Indonesia also have the capacity to teach robotics and coding, so that technology education is inclusive,” MTCI Chairman Jully Tjindrawan said.

Jully said the delegation presented a number of ideas and recommendations to the vice president, including the need for a standardized robotics and coding curriculum that could be implemented nationwide.

“The vice president received and discussed our input on teaching robotics and coding to children, from kindergarten through senior high school,” Jully said in a separate statement.

MTCI also outlined various robotics and coding training and development programmes that have been implemented in several regions.

The presentations formed the basis for discussions on building a structured, sustainable and globally adaptive digital education ecosystem.

Jully added that Vice President Gibran also discussed the idea of establishing integrated technology development centres.

“The vice president encouraged broader dissemination of a standardized curriculum and opened space for discussions on the establishment of an AI Hub to strengthen the robotics, coding and artificial intelligence ecosystem,” she said.

The meeting served as a forum for dialogue and the exchange of views on strengthening the national technology ecosystem, particularly in the development of robotics, coding and artificial intelligence education in Indonesia.

Baca juga: Inclusive module devised for educational equity: Ministry

During the meeting, the vice president actively listened to input and presentations from MTCI regarding challenges, opportunities and best practices in developing technology education from an early age through secondary education.

The discussion aligned with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive on accelerating digital transformation in the education sector.

Baca juga: KCIC readies officers to serve Whoosh passengers with special needs

The meeting reflected the government’s commitment to engaging with the public and stakeholders in the technology sector to formulate strategic steps for advancing national technology education.

Through such collaboration, Indonesia aims to better prepare its human resources to compete at the global level.

MTCI is a collaborative organisation and ecosystem that promotes innovation and smart technology governance, with a focus on improving digital literacy, strengthening innovation and startup ecosystems, and advocating ethical and inclusive technology policies.