The Surabaya City Government in collaboration with the Chief of Family Welfare Team (locally abbreviated as PKK), Rini Indriyani, held the activity of capacity building for the teachers of the Early Education Level (PAUD) of Surabaya. This activity was held at Lagoon Avenue Mall on Saturday (27 July 2024) in commemoration of the 44th National Children's Day

Also collaborating with the Executive Learning Hub of Airlangga University, the teachers for PAUD were given some workshops about leadership, partnership, and synergy

In her speech, Rini Indriyani stated that this activity was held in order to raise the quality and capacity for the PAUD teachers, as well as to form equality in terms of quality for the learning process. It aimed to create a qualified Early Education in Surabaya to prepare for the Golden Indonesia in the next 2045

"Bunda PAUD (the PAUD teachers) is the first milestone in the early education, especially to shape their characters. The most important thing in PAUD is how to shape the character, not any other lessons", she said

She also emphasized on how important it is to shape the character for the children, in their early ages. That is why it is important to strengthen the Bunda PAUD as the first milestone

"We can take example like no littering or be able to queue. These are simple things yet need to be strengthen so their characters can be shaped in their early age", she explained

According to her, having a strong character is the basic concept for children to continue their higher education and face the challenges for digitalization in the future

"Characters shaped since the beginning will embedded in their lives. When they are in elementary and higher education, they only need to carry on", she added.

By holding this activity, she hoped that the PAUD teachers in all districts and sub-districts can embrace and give the ideas for innovation for PAUD in their own region

"I hope that the Bunda PAUD in district and sub-district can work together to embrace the children in the lowest level as well as embracing the Bunda PAUD in their own region", she said

Meanwhile, the Head of Women and Children Protection Division of the Department of Women Empowerment, Children Protection, and Planned Parenthood, Thussy Apriliyandari, said that this activity emphasized on three things: leadership, partnership, and synergy. It aimed to teach the Bunda PAUD can embrace all elements of the early education in their own region

"We hope that by this training, all Bunda PAUD can work together creating the Hollistic and Integrative Early Education Program, as well as helping the transition from Early Education/Kindergarten to Elementary School in fun way", she concluded