Building Custom-Based Education: Puncak Negri Customary School Preserves Culture and Environment

Puncak Negri Traditional School is a community based on indigenous people located in Air Bersih Village, Air Hangat Barat District, Kerinci Regency, Jambi Province. Air Bersih Village is a fertile village rich in natural resources that are the mainstay of people's livelihoods, such as agriculture and animal husbandry. However, for them, nature is an identity that is inherent in their lives. Maintaining the sustainability of nature is part of their responsibility towards the environment and the sustainability of cultural heritage.

Reflecting on this situation, Puncak Negri Traditional School supported by Nusantara Fund Direct Funding organizes a program to increase the capacity of educators based on local knowledge. The program is designed to answer the urgent need for educators who are able to provide optimal educational services that are relevant to the culture and needs of students.

In the preparation stage, the management of Puncak Negri Traditional School together with PD AMAN Kerinci held a meeting to agree on the schedule of activities, create a training agenda, and ensure that the training materials were relevant to the needs of the participants. They also invited competent speakers in the field of indigenous education to ensure the quality of the training.

The program implementation activities began with a discussion session on the role of educators in the perspective of local culture. The aim is to provide an understanding of the importance of custom-based education as a means of preserving cultural values. Continued with material on the strategy for compiling custom learning modules, participants are invited to understand how to design a curriculum and teaching materials that are in accordance with the local cultural context. In addition, participants receive training on custom-based learning strategies that integrate local wisdom into teaching methods.

In the training in March 2024, Jambi State Islamic University became a teacher. The training participants were 22 educators from 3 Traditional Schools in the Kerinci area, SA Puncak Negeri, SA Depati Intan, and SA Tanah Sekudung. Three modules that prioritize Kerinci traditional content were produced in the training:

Customary History of the formation of Depati Empat Alam Kerinci; Customary Literature Parno Tunangan, parno is a customary expression (proverb, figurative language, and proverb) that contains someone's wishes (engagement); Kerinci Customary Law: four institutions for resolving disputes, namely if a dispute occurs in a family that is still one clan/heart (tribe/clan), then the customary law here starts from Namago Lapu (kitchen institution). If the dispute is with another person, negotiations apply in Namago Kurung, Namago Negeri, or Namago Alam.

In the training, traditional school teachers were provided with active learning through various scientific learning strategies. The goal is for them to be able to develop learning strategies that are not only appropriate to local situations and conditions, but also student-centered. Scientific learning uses scientific principles and the learning process is designed so that students are actively able to construct concepts, laws, or principles through five main learning experiences, namely: observing; asking; collecting information; associating; and communicating.

The scientific approach is considered capable of encouraging students of the Traditional School to think critically, creatively, and scientifically, while developing non-technical skills such as communicating, collaborating, problem solving, and other interpersonal skills that will be useful in their daily lives and future. The training provides theoretical insight and becomes a space for discussion and sharing experiences between educators. At the end of the implementation, a focus group discussion (FGD) was held to formulate a plan for the development of the traditional school in the future.

This program not only improves the skills of educators, but also motivates them to continue developing educational innovations that are relevant to the needs of the Indigenous Community. Puncak Negri Indigenous School has succeeded in increasing the capacity of 22 educators who are expected to be able to provide direct benefits to around 1200 indigenous people in Air Bersih Village. In addition, the activity covers an intervention area of ​​1343,45 hectares of indigenous territory which is the living space of indigenous people.

The program to improve the capacity of teachers at Puncak Negri Traditional School has a significant impact on the preservation of local culture and wisdom, especially through management based on traditional culture. In its implementation, the program is designed to strengthen traditional-based education which is the foundation for preserving traditional values. By utilizing local knowledge as a basis for teaching, the program allows teachers to integrate traditional values ​​into the teaching and learning process, so that the younger generation is not only familiar with, but also appreciates their cultural heritage.

Through this approach, the program not only focuses on knowledge transfer, but also on strengthening the identity of Indigenous Peoples. For Indigenous Peoples, nature is an inseparable part of their identity. By strengthening indigenous education, Indigenous Peoples are able to maintain a harmonious relationship with nature, thus creating a mutually supportive social and ecological ecosystem. With a curriculum based on local wisdom, Puncak Negri Indigenous School becomes a place to revitalize indigenous values ​​while presenting educational innovations that are relevant to today's needs.