Education

The quality improvement programs of the Assisted schools.

The Company assists 194 public schools from the Early Childhood Education (PAUD) level to high school/vocational school equivalent in the plantation area. The coaching focuses on improving the quality of education service assistance through a quality improvement program targeting 1,934 teachers and 28,827 students (*some are children from the local community) spread across Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi. In line with the National Education program and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Quality Improvement Program includes assistance for educational facilities and infrastructure, improving the quality of the assisted school program, and teacher competence.

Educational Facilities & Infrastructure Assistance

The Company provides facilities and infrastructure assistance for assisted schools, including infrastructure improvements and teaching and learning activities that refer to National School Standards, including Healthy Schools and Adiwiyata School standards. Infrastructure assistance includes educational facilities, light renovations (minor renovations, supporting facilities, and infrastructure), and endemic and annual plant seeds. While teaching and learning activities assistance includes book assistance (fiction and non-fiction), Educational Teaching Aids, student and teacher competitions, and stationeries.

Teacher Competency Development

In addition to facilities and infrastructure assistance in assisted schools, the Company also conducts teacher competency development initiatives in partnership with the Office of Education and private Education Foundations. Until 2022, more than 1,934 teachers have received training, including implementing interactive learning models for students, child abuse prevention programs, implementation of character education in both intra and extra-curricular learning, and mastery of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Improving teacher competency also contributes to higher of teacher competency test scores at the national level.

Scholarship

The Company provides educational scholarship assistance to children from the local community who enrolled in the assisted school as well as children of Astra Agro Group employees. Scholarships for increasing academic and non-academic achievements from elementary to high school/vocational school equivalent have been granted to 2,220 children throughout 2022. Furthermore, the Company, in collaboration with Astra Polytechnic of Manufacturing (Polman), also provides scholarships at the college level through the “Polman Astra Scholarship Program,” which is a service bond. Until 2022, the program has targeted 100 children. As many as 66 students have worked in the Company spread across Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.

School Committee Training

In addition to targeting teachers and students, the Company also offers training at the school committee forum in assisted schools consisting of parents of students, some of whom are communities around the zone one village. Training for School Committee administrators is one of the initiatives which is being carried out in partnership with private Education Foundations. Until 2022, the activities have targeted 2,480 administrators and are expected to impact 28,879 households in the community. The training and coaching materials cover child abuse prevention programs, fulfillment of child protection rights, and environmental programs that support the creation of community-based ecological sustainability.