We want to accelerate (measures to overcome) our lack of technology utilization, especially in the educational field
The Indonesian G20 presidency has urged G20 nations to encourage digital technology utilization to improve the quality of education and tackle the learning disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Head of the G20 Education Working Group (EdWG), Iwan Syahril, said that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has directed related parties to promote the use of technology for solving access problems, quality problems, and education equity issues.
"We want to accelerate (measures to overcome) our lack of technology utilization, especially in the educational field. At the same time, we must also pay attention to the vulnerable group of people," Syahril said during a discussion on “Qualified Education to Face the World of Work After Pandemic” in Jakarta on Thursday.
The G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the G20 Presidency this year.
The Education Working Group (EdWG) is one of the working groups of the G20 that examines the factors facilitating or hindering the right to education and the achievement of higher education.
During the discussion, Syahril said that the Indonesian G20 Presidency has also raised issues regarding the future of the post-pandemic world of work or “The Future of Work Post COVID-19.”
He explained that this theme was raised in view of the massive disruption seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The 4.0 revolution during the pandemic is increasingly disrupted. We need to rethink together how the world of education is relevant to prepare our human resources in the future," he remarked.
He said that to prepare human resources for the future, one of the most important things is to restore learning and transform the education system.
One of the most important and recommended steps to achieve this is to focus on the most fundamental competencies, he added.
"Indonesia before the pandemic had already undergone a transformation after we changed the national exam to a national assessment, where previously we focused on content and now we focus on the basic competencies namely literacy, numeracy, and character," he said.
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