Bandung, 12-14 March 2026 – Efforts to strengthen children’s literacy and numeracy skills from an early age have once again drawn attention from various stakeholders. This issue was highlighted during the Preliminary Discussion on Climate Change Studies and Workshop on Developing Research Proposals on Literacy and Numeracy for Early Childhood Education 2026, organized by the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Early Childhood Care, Education and Parenting (SEAMEO CECCEP) at Harris Hotel & Convention Festival Citylink, Bandung.
The activity involved academics and researchers from Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), representatives from the Directorate of Early Childhood Education (ECCE), as well as the SEAMEO CECCEP research team. The discussion aimed to formulate research directions that can strengthen the development of literacy and numeracy from early childhood education.
In their presentation, the UIII research team emphasized that the ability to read, understand information, and think logically needs to be developed from the early childhood education level. Literacy and numeracy are considered essential foundations that will influence children’s cognitive development in the future. However, before assessing children’s numeracy skills, it is also important to pay attention to the quality of teachers’ literacy and numeracy competencies.
Currently, the UIII research team is developing an instrument to measure numeracy competence among early-grade teachers. This initiative is considered crucial because teachers’ understanding of literacy and numeracy concepts will significantly influence the quality of learning experiences received by children.
Munaya Nikma Rosyada from Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) explained that strengthening literacy and numeracy is not limited to reading and counting skills alone. More broadly, these competencies are closely related to children’s ability to understand information and solve simple problems in their daily lives.
The discussion also highlighted various challenges in the Indonesian education system, particularly in encouraging higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). Therefore, a deeper learning approach (deep learning) is considered an important strategy so that learning processes do not merely focus on memorization but also encourage children to understand concepts meaningfully.
A representative from the Directorate of PAUD, Arika Novianti, stated that the government continues to promote literacy and numeracy through various national programs, including the National Numeracy Movement. This initiative aims to build a culture of critical, logical, and analytical thinking within society by involving multiple stakeholders, including schools, families, communities, and the media.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, through the Directorate of PAUD, also continues to strengthen early literacy and numeracy in early childhood education as part of broader efforts to improve educational quality and build strong cognitive foundations for children from an early age.
Strengthening literacy and numeracy has become increasingly important considering the results of international assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022, which indicate that many Indonesian students still perform at basic thinking levels or Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS). This situation highlights the need for learning strategies that can foster deeper thinking abilities among students.
One of the approaches introduced during the discussion was deep learning. This approach emphasizes conscious, meaningful, and enjoyable learning experiences. In practice, learning does not only focus on cognitive aspects but also integrates emotional engagement and physical activities, allowing children to experience a more holistic learning process.
In early childhood education settings, early literacy and numeracy are introduced through meaningful play-based activities. Children can learn language, letters, numbers, patterns, and basic mathematical concepts through enjoyable daily activities that align with their developmental stages.
In addition to literacy and numeracy, the event also addressed climate change issues within the context of early childhood education. On the second day, Prof. Teguh from Universitas Surabaya presented research findings on climate change education and emphasized the importance of collaboration with teachers to integrate environmental issues into learning from an early age.
Meanwhile, Syifa Andina from the PAUD HI Coalition and Plan International explained that climate change discussions often focus on negative impacts and environmental threats. Such approaches may potentially create anxiety among children and adults. Therefore, climate change education should be designed in a more constructive and solution-oriented manner so that children can understand environmental issues in a positive way.
The event was attended by several academics and education practitioners, including Trimadona B.W., Faradillah Haryani, and Munaya Nikma Rosyada from Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, as well as Arika Novianti from the Directorate of PAUD. It was also attended by the internal team of SEAMEO CECCEP, including the Head of Research and Development Division, the Head of Operations Division, related staff members, and interns.
Through this activity, it is expected that new ideas and research collaborations will emerge to strengthen the development of early literacy and numeracy in early childhood education. These efforts represent an important step toward building a generation that is creative, critical, and equipped with strong thinking skills to face future challenges.
Bagikan Artikel