Education Must Equip Children with Life Skills

Illustration of schoolchildren (Between)

JAKARTA - In an era that continues to move dynamically, academic ability alone is no longer enough. Today's children need life skills that allow them to adapt, think critically, work together, and solve problems creatively.

Education also needs to be directed to prepare them to face the complex and rapidly changing realities of life.

One figure who consistently voices the importance of life skills in education is Antarina S.F. Amir, an academic and co-founder of HighScope Indonesia.

She emphasized that a good education system does not only focus on memorization, but is able to create learning experiences that are contextual and relevant to the times.

"I believe that education should equip children with life skills, not just memorization. The curriculum must be flexible and contextual, so that children learn according to the needs of the times," said Antarina in her statement in Jakarta, as quoted by ANTARA.

In the spirit of Kartini Day, Antarina also invited the public to highlight the role of women in educational transformation, especially through the active learning approach.

This active learning model places students at the center of learning activities, encouraging them to be directly involved, think critically, and collaborate from an early age.

This is the principle that he has implemented since establishing HighScope Indonesia in 1996, an educational institution that adopts progressive learning methods and is oriented towards holistic child development.

As an Indonesian woman, Antarina admits to having a strong commitment to continue creating a positive impact for the next generation. She uses the values ​​of R.A. Kartini's struggle as inspiration in fighting for education that liberates the way of thinking and empowers children from an early age.

"I will not stop voicing the transformation of education with the aim of producing a superior generation of Indonesians who are ready to compete globally," she said.

Not only in the realm of practice, Antarina is also active in contributing to the academic field through written works. One of her books, entitled Life Skills for All Learners: How to Teach, Assess, and Report Education's New Essentials, was written with Prof. Thomas R. Guskey and published by ASCD in 2024. This book emphasizes the urgency of 21st century skills-based education as a foundation for facing future global challenges.

In facing a changing world, Antarina believes that women have great potential as agents of change, especially through an inclusive, adaptive, and meaningful world of education.