An Analysis of Early Childhood Mental And Character Education in Rural Areas in Indonesia

Abstract

This study was based on the imbalance between early childhood education (ECE) in most areas in the West Part of Indonesia and the East Part of Indonesia. ECE in most places in the East Part of Indonesia shows low quality of ECE compared to the West Part of Indonesia. We aim to investigate the condition of rural and underdeveloped areas with the lowest GDP in two regions in the East part of Indonesia, Sula and Taliabu in North Moluccas Province. Secondary Data Analysis (SDA) draws from several government reports and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Early Childhood Education in Sula and Taliabu, which include the data on Teacher’s Academic qualifications, School Facilitation, and teacher-student ratio. We compared this data with published government regulations and recent studies regarding the Teachers' Academic Qualification, School Facilitation, and teacher-student ratio standard with the field data in Sula and Taliabu Islands. Findings and recommendations are presented. Results show that most teachers in Sula and Taliabu in North Moluccas Province are High School Graduates. Most schools only have one classroom, no library, a high teacher-student ratio, and poor internet access. These conditions are not only far from the standard of quality of ECE in Indonesia set by government rules and regulations but also not conducive to teaching and learning activities.