NORTH SUMATRA — In order to strengthen financial literacy and inclusion in schools, Dompet Dhuafa, through the Indonesian Literacy School (SLI), together with Astra Financial, inaugurated an educational program entitled Financial Literacy Creation (KLiK). Targeting teachers and students, this initiative is one of SLI’s concrete steps in building the literacy skills of the community through education.
The KLiK Program launch was held at Adora Convention, Medan, in a hybrid format and successfully attracted more than 1,200 participants from schools belonging to the Perkumpulan Amal Bakti (PAB) North Sumatra. The event was also attended by the Head of the North Sumatra Province Financial Services Authority, Khoirul Muttaqien, the Mayor of Medan, Rico Tri Putra Bayu Waas, as well as the Astra board of directors and a team from SLI.
Two speakers from SLI also provided material in this activity, namely Khairani SST, MM, CPS, with the topic “Financially Intelligent Teachers”, and Nurul Aeni who presented the material “Innovations in Financial Literacy Learning Methods”.
As the party that designed this program, GREAT Edunesia developed a creative and relevant financial learning method that is easy to implement in schools. Through this approach, teachers are encouraged to become agents of change in shaping a wise financial culture in educational environments.
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With the theme “Building a Financially Literate Generation from an Early Age”, this program will run for approximately three months. The series of activities includes teacher training, assistance in preparing financial literacy projects, implementing projects with students, and giving appreciation for the best work. In the assistance process, SLI involves PELITA SLI Medan City as the main facilitator.
The launch of this program cannot be separated from the attention to the low level of financial literacy in Indonesia. Based on the 2022 National Survey of Financial Literacy and Inclusion (SNLIK), the national level of financial literacy has only reached 49.68%. Although it shows an improvement, this figure still indicates the need for more efforts to strengthen people’s understanding of personal financial management.
Particularly in Medan, which is one of the major cities in Indonesia, the financial literacy index in 2023 was recorded at 56.10%, still below the national average. This makes Medan a strategic area in efforts to improve financial literacy, especially among students and educators.
On the other hand, even though the level of financial inclusion among students is relatively high, their understanding of basic financial concepts such as saving, investing, and managing debt is still relatively low. Teachers also face similar conditions, even though they have an important role in shaping students’ financial understanding from an early age.
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Through the KLiK program, it is hoped that more teachers will be born who are not only competent in personal finance, but also capable of passing on positive financial habits to students and the wider school community. SLI is targeting this program to be a driver of the formation of an educational ecosystem that is not only academically superior, but also financially wise.
“Financial literacy is an integral part of life literacy. Therefore, we really appreciate this collaboration. Together with Astra Financial and all the partners involved, we want to build a school ecosystem that encourages financial literacy from an early age,” said Andi Ahmadi, Chairman of Sekolah Literasi Indonesia. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Riza Muthohar, GREAT Edunesia
Editor: Dhika