By Erix Hutasoit
Indonesia is home to over 700 local languages, each deeply rooted in culture and identity. But for many children, stepping into school means leaving behind the language they know best. Lessons are taught in Bahasa Indonesia – a language some have never spoken at home, making learning a daily struggle.
Recognising this, INOVASI has been working with local governments to address the gap. One promising approach is mother tongue-based education, where children begin their learning journey in their native language before gradually transitioning to Bahasa Indonesia.
The Struggle to Learn
In Nagekeo District, East Nusa Tenggara, Yasinta Mau Ghari has seen firsthand what happens when children can’t understand the language used in school. As a second-grade teacher at SD Inpres Wudu, she remembers how her students would struggle with even the simplest reading tasks. “They would look at the words on the page, but the letters didn’t mean anything to them,” she said. “Many of them had never spoken Indonesian at home, so everything felt new and difficult.”
A Bridge to Literacy
Determined to address this issue, Nagekeo’s local government partnered with INOVASI and Sulinama Foundation to introduce the approach for transitioning from mother tongue to the Indonesian language. The idea was simple but powerful: let children learn in their home language first, then gradually introduce Indonesian.
In Nagekeo, INOVASI provided technical assistance to support the local government’s pilot program for regional language transition, launched in 2020. The program used the Nage language as a bridge to Indonesian in 10 early childhood education centers (PAUD) and 10 primary schools (SD), significantly improving basic literacy and writing skills. With training and support from the Curriculum Development Management Team (TMPK), the pilot schools achieved nearly 100% literacy proficiency in early grades. Building on this success, the Nagekeo government is now scaling the initiative to all schools in the region using local funding.
Teachers like Yasinta received training on how to make this transition smooth. In her classroom, she now spends the first 30 minutes of literacy lessons using Nagekeo’s local language before shifting to Bahasa Indonesia. She also uses books written in both languages, allowing students to make connections between the words they know and the new words they are learning. The results have been remarkable.
“Now, by the time they reach second grade, my students can recognise letters, understand words, and even start writing,” Yasinta shared. “They are excited to learn, rather than being scared.”
At preschool Santa Clara, teacher Maria Margaretha Elu has noticed the same thing. Using mother tongue language in the class has transformed how her students engage with learning. “They are more confident, more eager to participate,” she said. “Before, they were hesitant to speak. Now, they respond, ask questions, and express themselves.”
A Model for Change
The success of Nagekeo’s approach is a glimpse of what is possible when children are given the right foundation. The issue is bigger than just learning a language; it’s about giving children a fair chance to succeed. at risk of being left behind.
Venantius Minggu, Head of the Nagekeo Education and Culture Office, believes this approach can be a game-changer. “The policy regarding the adoption of the transition from local languages to Indonesian as a key learning approach also serves as an encouragement to preserve the mother tongue in every region. With support from various parties such as INOVASI, the central government, and educational institutions, we hope this program can set a good example for other regions facing similar challenges”, he said.