Commemorating International Children’s Day 2026, UNU Jogja and GNI Promote Inclusive Early Childhood Education in Kulon Progo

Yogyakarta, Indonesia — Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja), in collaboration with Gugah Nurani Indonesia (GNI), is promoting inclusive, child-friendly, and equitable early childhood education (ECE) through a public campaign titled Every Child Can Learn. Scheduled for November 2026 at Taman Budaya Kulon Progo, Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY), the campaign is part of broader efforts to strengthen children’s rights to learn and develop without discrimination.

The campaign will commemorate International Children’s Day 2026 through a collaboration involving UNU Jogja’s Directorate of Community Engagement and Social Laboratory (Labsos), the Elementary School Teacher Education Study Program, the Faculty of Education, the Center for Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), and the Disability Services Unit, in partnership with GNI. The event also supports the Development of a Pilot Model for Inclusive Early Childhood Education in Kulon Progo Regency program, which focuses on developing an inclusive ECE model in the regency.

Director of Community Engagement and Labsos at UNU Jogja, Joko Susilo, said the initiative expands the existing collaboration between UNU Jogja’s Labsos program and GNI, particularly in integrating community engagement, academic capacity building, and public policy advocacy.

“This program expands the collaboration between UNU Jogja’s Labsos program and Gugah Nurani Indonesia (GNI). Students are not only involved in research and community empowerment programs in GNI’s partner communities but also have the opportunity to serve as project officers for the national International Children’s Day forum,” Joko said.

He explained that the academic community’s involvement extends beyond field activities. UNU Jogja lecturers will also contribute through workshops and cross-sector panel discussions, connecting academic insights with community needs and public policy priorities.

“At the same time, lecturers will contribute to workshops and cross-sector panel discussions, actively bringing academic ideas into public policy forums. This collaboration aims to generate a broader impact and strengthen the university’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals),” he said.

According to Joko, collaboration between higher education institutions and civil society organizations is essential to ensuring that academic knowledge can be translated into relevant community empowerment practices. The International Children’s Day campaign is therefore expected to generate a broader public impact.

Chair of UNU Jogja’s Disability Services Unit, Dr. Murdianto, S.Pd.I., M.Si., added that the partnership with GNI forms part of broader efforts to raise public awareness of the importance of inclusive education from early childhood.

“Our collaboration with Gugah Nurani Nusantara Foundation is part of our efforts to promote inclusive and equitable education, particularly in the earliest stage of formal education: early childhood. We hope this initiative will foster greater optimism for building a more equitable education ecosystem, especially in Kulon Progo and the Special Region of Yogyakarta more broadly,” Murdianto said.

He expressed hope that the partnership would strengthen an education ecosystem that provides equal opportunities for all children, including children with disabilities and those who require additional support in their development and learning processes.

Meanwhile, GNI representative Makrus Ali said International Children’s Day should serve as a moment to build a concrete commitment to creating safe environments that support children’s growth and development.

“As International Children’s Day approaches in November, GNI hopes the occasion will go beyond celebration. Having worked in Kulon Progo for 15 years, we see this moment as an opportunity to encourage all stakeholders to commit to making Kulon Progo a safe place for children. We are also inviting UNU Jogja to become a collaborative partner in this effort going forward,” Makrus said.

He added that fulfilling children’s rights requires the involvement of various stakeholders, including families, educational institutions, government, communities, and development partners. Such collaboration is essential to ensuring that every child can grow and learn in a safe environment that respects diversity and provides support according to individual needs.

Strengthening Inclusive Early Childhood Education

Strengthening inclusive ECE is essential because every child has distinct characteristics, abilities, needs, and learning paces. In practice, however, children’s access to appropriate education continues to face several challenges, including limited accessibility in learning environments, gaps in educators’ understanding of diverse developmental needs, and stigma surrounding disability.

Collaboration among families, educational institutions, government, and communities also needs to be strengthened so that inclusion goes beyond simply admitting children into educational institutions and is meaningfully implemented in everyday learning activities.

According to 2025 data from DAPODIK, Indonesia’s national education data system, used as an initial reference for the program, Kulon Progo Regency has 858 ECE institutions supported by 1,343 educators. Meanwhile, a needs assessment involving 33 ECE educators in Pendoworejo, Giripurwo, and Jatimulyo found that approximately 76 percent of respondents still needed to strengthen their knowledge and practical skills in inclusive ECE. As many as 91 percent considered this capacity-building support urgent.

These findings highlight the need to improve educators’ capacities while strengthening cross-sector support to deliver educational services that accommodate children’s diverse needs.

Inclusive education requires more than simply providing children with access to educational institutions. Learning environments, teaching methods, social interactions, facilities, and available support must also be adapted to ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Through its inclusive ECE model development program, GNI seeks to support educator capacity building, the development of inclusive teaching practices, mentoring for ECE institutions, and stronger collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Public Campaign to Engage Children and Communities

Under the theme Every Child Can Learn: Inclusive ECE for Every Child, Every Family, Every Community, the campaign is designed as a public education initiative grounded in practical experiences.

The public will not only be encouraged to understand the concept of inclusive education but also to learn about practical approaches and forms of support that can be applied in families and educational settings.

The planned activities include an inclusive ECE exhibition, documentary screenings, seminars, cross-sector panel discussions, workshops on developing an inclusive ECE ecosystem, media campaigns, and basic health screening services in collaboration with relevant partners.

Through the exhibition, visitors will be introduced to adaptive learning materials, educational play equipment, children’s work, documentation of inclusive learning practices, and information on children’s rights, disability, child development, and family support.

Meanwhile, seminars and panel discussions will provide a platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences regarding the challenges of implementing inclusive ECE, as well as opportunities for collaboration to strengthen early childhood education services.

The workshops are designed to bring together educators, academics, organizations of persons with disabilities, families, communities, government representatives, and development partners. The forum is expected to produce recommendations and create opportunities for sustained collaboration to advance inclusive ECE in Kulon Progo.

The event aims to attract approximately 660 participants and visitors from diverse backgrounds, including children, parents and caregivers, ECE educators, school administrators, local government representatives, organizations of persons with disabilities, community groups, development partners, and the general public.

Through this campaign, UNU Jogja and GNI seek to reaffirm that every child has the potential to learn and develop. Differences in abilities and needs should not be grounds for limiting children’s opportunities but rather a basis for creating more adaptive, equitable, and humane approaches to learning.

The 2026 International Children’s Day commemoration is expected to serve as a collective step toward strengthening commitments to fulfilling children’s rights and building an inclusive, safe, accessible, and equitable education ecosystem in Kulon Progo Regency and the Special Region of Yogyakarta.

Contributor: Ike
Editor: Latifah