Environment-based Kindergarten/TPA: Harmony of Education and Natural Conservation in Ogan Ilir

Who says nature schools are only for the rich? In South Sumatra, precisely in Pajar Bulan Village and Seri Bandung Village, Ogan Ilir Regency, there is a people's education initiative that proves that access to environment-based education can be owned by all groups. Kindergarten (TK) and Al-Qur'an Education Park (TPA) based on the environment with the support of Direct Funding Nusantara Fund.

As a grassroots institution that consistently works for rural empowerment, YM3 believes that education is the main foundation in improving the quality of life and environmental sustainability. In Pajar Bulan Village and Seri Bandung Village, YM3 strives to revive the people's education ecosystem that is environmentally friendly. The TK/TPA that was formed prioritizes interactive and contextual learning.

The Ogan Ilir District Education Office stated that the participation rate of early childhood education in rural areas is below 65 percent. The presence of an environment-based community education model is one of the breakthroughs to address this gap. Moreover, the Ogan Ilir area is an area prone to land conversion and environmental degradation due to the expansion of large plantations.

In the people's version of the Nature School in Pajar Bulan Village and Seri Bandung Village, children grow up with nature. Not only learning to read and count, but also being introduced to the importance of caring for nature through direct practice in the surrounding environment. One of the typical approaches applied is learning about environmentally friendly agriculture in the school's demonstration garden (demplot). Children are invited to go directly to the demonstration garden to learn to recognize, plant, and care for various types of plants. This activity is not only a complement, but an integral part of the daily curriculum to foster closeness and love for nature from an early age.

Interestingly, involvement in garden management is not only limited to children. Parents and the surrounding community are also actively involved. Avocado is one of the superior plants that are cared for together in the school's demonstration garden. This collaboration not only strengthens social relations in the village, but also creates a shared learning space across generations. Parents learn about environmentally friendly farming, while children get direct examples of the importance of cooperation and concern for the environment.

YM3 also regularly holds training for local teachers and facilitators to improve their capacity in managing environmental-based learning. Training materials include natural farming techniques, environmental thematic learning management, and ecology-based literacy methods. The goal is simple: to produce educators who are not only academically reliable, but also have social and ecological sensitivity.

The people's version of nature schools such as in Pajar Bulan Village and Seri Bandung Village are places where hope grows. Not only about producing smart students to become doctors, pilots, engineers or other flashy professions that are often the dreams of children, but also about becoming forest rangers, river protectors, and planters of the seeds of life.