Singapore-Indonesia Education Collaboration Uplifts over 1.2 million Lives, Strengthens Regional Cooperation
Bogor and Malang, Indonesia, 4 August 2025 – The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) has successfully concluded three joint education projects across Greater Jakarta, West Java, and East Java. These collaborative efforts have directly upskilled more than 2,300 Indonesian education professionals with its impact extending beyond the classroom to benefit over 1.2 million individuals across Indonesia, including students, educators, parents, and caregivers.
These initiatives form part of SIF’s longstanding Specialist Volunteer Programme, which facilitates the exchange of expertise between specialist Singapore International Volunteers (SIVs) and their overseas counterparts in the fields of in education and healthcare. Over the years, SIVs, comprising educators and medical professionals from diverse fields, have played an integral role in strengthening community capabilities abroad. Through SIF’s programmes aimed at skills transfer and sustained engagement, they have continued to deliver meaningful and sustainable impact.
The three education projects in Indonesia that most recently concluded are:
The Early Childhood Educator Development Project (ECE Jakarta, 2021-2025) – a four-year project by the SIF, in partnership with The Central Board of Indonesian Kindergarten Teachers’ Association (PP IGTKI-PGRI) and the Presbyterian Preschool Services (PPS). This project aimed to enhance the capabilities of early childhood educators and elevate the quality of ECE in Greater Jakarta. Over 1,000 educators, including 41 Master Trainers, received training in sustainable literacy, numeracy, and eco-education practices.
The Early Childhood Education (Phase 2) Project (ECE Bandung, 2023-2025) – a three-year project by the SIF, in partnership with the Ikatan Guru Taman Kanak-Kanak Indonesia – Persatuan Guru Republik Indonesia (IGTKI-PGRI) West Java, Indonesia and the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Phase 2 aimed to strengthen the capabilities of early childhood educators in West Java by equipping them with effective pedagogical strategies, expanding access to knowledge-sharing resources, and fostering sustainable practices through the training-of-trainers approach. Over 660 educators were trained. This includes 18 Master Trainers who received additional skillsets to train their peers, with support from Phase 11 Master Trainers, some of whom were also part of the Phase 2 cohort.
The Teacher Counselling and Building Students’ Resilience in Education Project (T-CARE, 2023-2025) – a three-year project by the SIF, in partnership with the East Java Province Education Agency and the Singapore Association of Social Workers. Supported by the East Java Provincial Government, T-CARE aimed to enhance the competencies of teacher-counsellors in East Java by equipping them with skills to support students’ holistic development and wellbeing. The training covered career guidance, cyber wellness and managing gaming addiction, and youth facing mental health issues. Originally aimed at training 100 teacher-counsellors, the T-CARE project surpassed its target, ultimately training over 590 teacher-counsellors from vocational high schools in East Java, including 22 Master Trainers.
Key Outcomes and Learnings
As part of the ECE projects, digital resource repositories were developed to consolidate lesson plans, workshop content, and training materials. These repositories now serve as valuable reference tools for project participants and are accessible to other kindergarten teachers across 33 additional IGTKI chapters in Indonesia, thereby significantly extending the reach and sustainability of the projects’ capacity-building efforts.
In April and May 2025, the SIF also organised and hosted study visits to Singapore for participants and Master Trainers from both ECE projects to experience first-hand, the application of the ECE curriculum in Singapore. Notably, 98 percent of participants reported that Singapore’s ECE system provides a strong foundation of best practices that they can adapt and apply within their own teaching contexts in Indonesia. By the end of the projects, all Master Trainers reported increased student engagement after incorporating key learnings into their programmes.
For the T-CARE project, 94 percent of participants reported a marked improvement in their handling of student cases, and 86 percent committed to sharing their knowledge with peers in order to strengthen school-wide counselling workflows to support more students. Master Trainers also implemented Action Learning Projects (ALPs) to address real issues in their schools – from student gaming addiction to parent engagement – which drove hands-on improvements and encouraged peer learning. Additionally, 93 percent of Master Trainers felt better equipped to provide career guidance to their students using psychometric tools within a broader developmental framework.
Additionally for the T-CARE project, 21 Master Trainers and Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education delegates from Indonesia took part in a study visit to Singapore in May 2025, gaining firsthand exposure to Singapore’s school social work ecosystem. The visit allowed them to deepen their understanding of how systemic, multi-agency approaches support student wellbeing beyond one-on-one counselling. Participants reported gaining practical insights into real-world applications of counselling frameworks and were inspired to adopt more holistic and collaborative strategies in their own school environments.
Ms Christie Lee, Director, Programmes Division, Singapore International Foundation, said: “At the Singapore International Foundation, we believe in the power of collaboration to create meaningful and sustainable impact. These projects reflect the shared commitment between Singapore and Indonesia to uplift communities through quality education and mental well-being. We are heartened by the dedication of the Indonesian participants and our Singapore International Volunteers, whose close partnership has empowered educators and teacher-counsellors to better nurture future generations. The ripple effect of their work in reaching over 1.2 million lives demonstrates the profound impact that knowledge-sharing and cross-cultural collaboration can achieve. This year also marks 33 years of SIF’s friendship with Indonesia, and we look forward to deepening this bond through even more impactful projects and partnerships.”
Mr Aries Agung Paewai, Head of East Java Province Education Agency, said: “We are proud to have partnered with the Singapore International Foundation and the Singapore Association of Social Workers on the T-CARE project. This cross-border collaboration has strengthened the capabilities of our teacher-counsellors and laid the groundwork for more holistic student support across East Java. We value the friendships and knowledge shared through this partnership, and look forward to future opportunities to collaborate.”
Ms Hj. Nur Sriyati, S.Pd., M.M., Chairperson of the Central Board of Indonesian Kindergarten Teachers’ Association (PP IGTKI-PGRI), said: “We are deeply grateful for this meaningful collaboration with the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and our Singaporean partners. The ECE initiative between SIF and Indonesia began in 2019, marking six years of strong mutual collaboration, even amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 travel restrictions. Over the years, this partnership has greatly enriched our early childhood educators in Jakarta and West Java – equipping them with innovative pedagogical strategies and practical tools that have elevated the quality of teaching and learning in kindergartens. Beyond professional development, this project has also fostered warm friendships and a shared commitment to giving every child a stronger start in life. We cherish the strong foundation we have built together and hope to explore more opportunities for collaboration in the future.”
Ms N. Kannigadevi, SIV Team Lead for ECE Jakarta and Assistant Director of Care and Development at Presbyterian Preschool Services, said: “Being part of the ECE Jakarta project has been an enriching journey for our team of Singapore International Volunteers. We were inspired by the passion and dedication of the Indonesian educators, who brought deep local knowledge and a strong commitment to nurturing young learners. The exchange of ideas was reciprocal – we learned as much as we shared. In early childhood education, continuous upskilling is essential to meet the evolving needs of children and communities. Working together to explore new strategies and co-develop solutions reminded us of the power of partnership. It has been a privilege to contribute to this meaningful collaboration.”
Dr G Kaveri, SIV Team Lead for ECE Bandung and Senior Lecturer, Early Childhood Education Programme, S R Nathan School of Human Development, Singapore University of Social Sciences, said: “The ECE Bandung project has reaffirmed the importance of quality early childhood education as a foundation for lifelong learning. It was heartening to witness the creativity, care, and commitment that Indonesian educators bring to nurturing young children. This collaboration provided us with valuable insights into Indonesia’s local practices and cultural contexts, and in turn, allowed us to share strategies that support holistic development in the early years. We are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such passionate educators in building stronger starts for children in West Java.”
Ms Yum Sin Ting, SIV Team Lead for the T-CARE project and Co-chairperson of the School Social Work Chapter, Singapore Association of Social Workers, said: “Being part of the T-CARE project has been an incredibly rewarding experience for our team of Singapore International Volunteers. Not only were we able to share our knowledge and practices in school social work, but we also gained valuable insights from our Indonesian counterparts. Their commitment, openness, and contextual perspectives greatly enriched our own understanding and practice.”
She added: “One of the most meaningful outcomes was the development of the Group Coaching Sessions (GCS), developed to support the needs of the teacher-counsellors. The GCS series equipped our Master Trainers with essential peer supervision skills, enabling them to sustain their learning through mutual support with one another beyond the project. It was a powerful example of two-way learning and shared growth – one that allowed us to relate to one another as fellow practitioners despite coming from different countries. This shared journey not only strengthened our professional practice but also forged deep bonds and a sense of mutual respect which we will continue to carry with us beyond the project.”
The SIF’s work in Indonesia began in 1992 primarily in the areas of healthcare and education capacity-building projects, and in recent years included projects in the areas of climate and youth development. Globally, the three SIF projects contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 4: Inclusive and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, and Goal 17: Partnerships for sustainable development.