First VR School Bus In Indonesia Targets 2 Million Students Per Year

Photo: Doc. WIR Group

JAKARTA - Nusameta, a business unit from WIR Group (PT WIR ASIA Tbk, IDX: WIRG) which focuses on developing immersive technology and virtual ecosystems, again shows its commitment to the advancement of Indonesian education through the mobile VR School initiative. This program is designed to reach schools throughout Indonesia and introduce new ways of learning that are more interesting, inclusive, and relevant to the younger generation.

Using Virtual Reality (VR) technology, the Mobile VR School presents an immersive learning experience directly to school pages and public spaces. Children are invited into the world of science directly, from exploring outer space to exploring Indonesian history through interactive, deep, and imaginary learning content.

A study from PwC in 2020 shows that learning with Virtual Reality (VR) technology is able to train students up to four times faster than traditional learning methods in classrooms. Not only that, students studying through VR are also proven to be 3.75 times more emotionally connected to the materials studied, thus encouraging a deeper and more meaningful understanding.

In various developed countries, Virtual Reality (VR) technology has become one of the backbones of innovation in the world of education. The United States, Britain, and Australia are pioneers in integrating VR into the elementary school curriculum to universities. Students learn not only through textbooks, but also through interactive simulations such as space travel, exploration of world history virtually, to safe and immersive laboratory practices.

In the UK, educational institutions report a significant increase in information retention and student involvement after implementing VR-based modules. Meanwhile in Australia, educational startups such as Mindflight7 use VR to train critical thinking skills and empathy, particularly in cross-cultural and historical learning. This innovation confirms that VR is not just a visual aid, but has evolved into a learning medium that transforms students' ways of absorbing, understanding, and experiencing knowledge.

The Nusameta initiative also received a positive response from various public figures. Deputy Chairman of Commission VII DPR RI, Rahayu Saraswati, who is also the Initiator Program of the Mobile VR School, stated that this program answers the gap in access to education that has been going on in many regions.

VR Keliling school is present as the opening of the door in a new way, bringing technology to remote parts of the country and reducing the gap in inequality. This technology is here to inspire, because we believe anyone can, as long as they dare to imagine," he said, in a written statement, Wednesday, May 28.

In line with that, Dirgayuza Setiawan, an education figure and founder of various youth programs, emphasized the emotional and psychological impacts that can be instilled through this immersive approach.

The Mobile VR school not only brings technology to schools, but also fosters hope and confidence. When they get into the bus and explore the virtual world with friends, they are forming a new, more critical, more imaginative, and more confident way of understanding the world, "explained the figure who is also the Initiator Program of the Mobile VR School.

Currently, the Mobile VR School has entered the Proof of Concept stage in the Jakarta area and is planned to be expanded to various other regions. Supported by the Indonesian Cadre Education Foundation and a number of sponsors, this program comes in the form of a modified passenger bus into a moving immersive theater, complete with a cutting-edge VR device. This concept is the first in the world and is a tangible manifestation of the commitment to provide equivalent and inclusive quality education for all Indonesian children.

One unit of Mobile VR School can present immersive educational content to around 76,800 students for elementary, junior high, and high school levels in one school year. Nusameta targets the operation of 25 mobile VR School bus units to reach more than 1.9 million students throughout Indonesia.

This program specifically targets public and private schools that have limited access to educational technology, with the aim of providing inspiration, opening up technological-based learning opportunities, and encouraging the involvement of the younger generation in the development of Indonesian technology in the future. With the spirit of "technology for all", Nusametta continues to pave the way for a more just, inclusive, and global competitive future of Indonesian education.