SEAMEO CECCEP received a visit from the Economics Education Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia on January 19, 2024. The delegation was led by the Head of the Economics Education Study Program, Dr. Susanti Kurniawati, M.Si, and accompanied by the Secretary of the Economics Education Study Program, Dr. Navik Istikomah, M.Si., along with experienced lecturers such as Kinanti Geminastiti, M.Pd, Hamdan Ardiansyah, M.Pd, and Cepri Maulana, M.Pd.
Dr. Susanti Kurniawati, M.Si expressed that the visit to SEAMEO CECCEP aimed to discuss potential collaborations aligned with the Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi program. The three pillars of Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi consist of education, research, and community service. She hoped for future collaborative partnerships and emphasized the focus on joint research programs, internship programs for students, and community service initiatives.
Prof. Vina Adriany, Director of SEAMEO CECCEP, warmly welcomed Dr. Susanti Kurniawati and her team, expressing gratitude for their visit. She believed that the new year would be better with a spirit of cooperation and new programs. Prof. Vina then introduced the staff of the SEAMEO CECCEP division and highlighted the importance of Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) and family education. The development of ECCE involves contributions from various disciplines in a multidisciplinary approach. Investing in early childhood is considered a brilliant policy for a country.
"As explained by Professor James Heckman, through global economic studies, the return on investment (ROI) for one year in ECCE is much higher than at the university level. He emphasized the importance of the early stages of a child's life, stating that investing during this period has a significant long-term impact on cognitive, social, and emotional development. Investing in ECE can reduce educational disparities, alleviate poverty, and create a more empowered society. By building a strong foundation from an early age, investing in children becomes a priority to advance the competitiveness and productivity of the country and the overall well-being of society," said Prof. Vina.
ECCE has also become a priority program at the World Bank, and this collaboration is expected to open up extensive opportunities. The hope is that this initiative can explore more in-depth programs beneficial for early childhood education.
In the subsequent discussion session, Dr. Elis Rosdiawati, Deputy Director of Administration, provided insights into the profile and programs of SEAMEO CECCEP, including Research and Development focusing on ethno parenting and research on Stunting and Anaking mobile, Capacity Building, Advocacy & Partnership, and Knowledge Management.
Mrs. Kinanti Geminastiti, M.Pd revealed that the economics of education is related to the concept of human capital, explaining the importance of long-term investment in education. Investment in early childhood education involves human capital aspects, where the calculation of education costs and investment returns from the perspective of educational economics becomes essential.
"This concerns analyzing how education costs can provide future benefits. Although there is currently fierce competition among ECCE institutions in urban areas, it is unfortunate that many ECCEs in various regions cannot provide suitable and quality educational services due to various constraints. In this context, there needs to be further attention to ensuring that ECCE units in all regions can enjoy access to quality education. ECCE is expected to be universally accessible. Free education can be obtained by all children, but currently, budget constraints are an issue in ECCE. The question is how much budget is needed to provide universal ECCE services? Vina stated in her discussion," said Prof. Vina.
This needs to be simulated clearly regarding the number of services required and the investment that the government must make. The calculation of the school operational funds or Bantuan Orasional Sekolah (BOS) is crucial, and therefore, using calculations that are suitable for this methodology and empirical research is essential, given that we have not calculated the amount of budget needed by each region. Additionally, the concept of Innovative Financial Justice, which is fair financial innovation, is rapidly evolving to create a more inclusive and equitable financial system. This concept encompasses various strategies and policies to address financial inequality and provide broader access to early childhood education.
By combining innovation and justice principles, this effort aims to benefit all layers of society, including those who were previously marginalized. Through an innovative approach to fair finance, it is hoped that an inclusive and sustainable economic environment for early childhood education can be created.
Finally, in this opportunity, Mr. Cepri Maulana emphasized his hope that this audience could serve as a foundation for sustainable collaboration between SEAMEO CECCEP and the economics study program. He hoped that this engagement could make the economics program a potential partner, bringing progress to the world of Early Childhood Education. Furthermore, a series of discussions and follow-up actions are expected to conclude this meeting and formulate plans for subsequent meetings to discuss more in-depth and sustainable programs.
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