IDX: Learning Shares Since Elementary School Is Important To Slide Savings Into Investors

Indonesian capital market (Photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - Literacy and education related to the capital market are important to be given to youth groups, in order to create a shift from saving society to investment society.

Director of Development of PT Bursa Efek Indonesia (IDX) Jeffrey Hendrik said the literacy and education could start from elementary school and continue to high school level.

"Since being very young, they (must) first understand the concept. Since elementary, junior high, high school early classes, they understand the concept of investing in the capital market," Jeffrey said, quoting Antara.

When high-level students and students have understood the concept of the capital market, added Jeffrey, the next step can be followed by including them in the inclusion program to become investors or capital market players.

"That (the capital market literacy and education proposed by the Minister of Finance) we agreed. And we have done it and we will continue to do it," he said.

Jeffrey reminded, even during the post-pandemic in early 2023, the IDX invited kindergarten students to become the first guests in the reopening of the IDX Main Hall after the abolition of the Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) policy.

"In the early days after the pandemic, the opening of the first trade after the pandemic, we invited kindergarten students. The message we want to convey is that these kindergarten students will later become investors in our capital market. This means that literacy related to the capital market must start from now on," he said.

Since the last two years, according to him, the IDX has held a capital market literacy and education program for the younger generation not only in universities but also at the high school level.

At the university level, the IDX has an Investment Gallery in the form of providing all publications and printed materials regarding the capital market published by the IDX. Meanwhile, at the high school level, the IDX held an Education Gallery, which to date has totaled nearly 100 educational galleries in SMA-SMA throughout Indonesia.

"The concept of this Education Gallery is the cooperation of four parties, between the Indonesia Stock Exchange, members of the stock exchange, universities that own the Investment Gallery, and SMA," explained Jeffrey.

When asked by reporters about the integration of capital market literacy programs into the curriculum, Jeffrey said that his party must first coordinate with the relevant ministries.

"But, with the Financial Services Authority (OJK), there is already a Learning Management System (LMS) in the OJK that we also use, which there has also covered up to a very basic level," said Jeffrey.

Previously, at the Inauguration of the 2025 IDX Trading Opening event, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati stated that capital market education and literacy to the wider community needed to be continuously improved considering that there were still relatively few people participating in the stock market or stock exchange.

He said that he had started to know the capital market since he was young.

According to him, currently, knowledge about the capital market should have been given not at the level of higher education anymore, but at the elementary school level, so that young people are getting closer to the stock exchange.

"And, this can only be done if we are also working together (to work together). Later into the curriculum, how to deliver it and how they feel used to transactions," said Sri Mulyani.

On the other hand, the State Treasurer also encourages investment instruments that are much more affordable or affordable for small communities so that they can participate.

"We, in Government Securities (SBN) have made very small denominations. So now in the SBN investor base, we have found many students and students have started buying SBN. That is positive for all of us. I hope so with stocks," he said.

When the community has started diversifying savings and creating a deepening of the capital market, Sri Mulyani also reminded market players and other stakeholders to also oversee and ensure that the shares traded are healthy stocks.

"Shares come from fundamental companies that are managed with good governance, so people don't feel that they are buying a securities that turns out to be worthless. This is a challenge for all of us," said Sri Mulyani.