Jakarta, August 22, 2024 – As part of its commitment to supporting the government in improving literacy in Indonesia, SiDU (Sinar Dunia), one of the notebook brands from APP Group, has launched a special module for elementary school teachers. This event marks the revival of the AYO Menulis SiDU program in 2024, an initiative aimed at revitalizing the culture of handwriting among students in Indonesia, in collaboration with Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya to conduct research on the impact of handwriting on Indonesian students' literacy skills.
The event took place at the Jakarta DKI Education Office and was attended by various stakeholders, including representatives from Universitas Atma Jaya, Majalah Cahaya Inspirasi Anak (CIA), the Jakarta DKI Education Office, and APP Group. The module launch event is intended for teachers, with the student writings produced from the module to be used for research on the impact of handwriting on literacy skills. This collaboration is expected to generate empirical data that will serve as a basis for future improvements in education quality.
Purwosusilo, Deputy Head of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Education Office, stated in his speech, "Literacy is crucial for educators and learners in developing reasoning abilities, creativity, and critical thinking skills in the learning process. We, at the Education Office, continue to strive towards this goal. I also urge teachers to be facilitators and motivators for students with engaging learning methods. They should even act as friends and parents to our students."
Muniarti Agustian, Head of the Research Team at Universitas Atma Jaya, added, “Handwriting plays an essential role in developing reflective thinking skills in elementary school students: technical writing skills, enhancing critical thinking skills, information retention, and emotional engagement with the subject matter. SIDU has a mission to improve students' writing skills from an early age. We share the same mission and are therefore in harmony.”
On the same occasion, Arif Darmawan, Head of Marketing Domestic Stationery at APP Group, said, "We believe that handwriting is not just about technical skills but also about critical thinking, problem-solving, and language proficiency. Through this program, we hope to inspire and motivate Indonesian children to love writing activities. With the launch of this module, we aim to provide teachers with the necessary tools to guide students in enhancing their literacy skills."
The AYO Menulis SiDU program was first launched in 2017 to rekindle the interest in handwriting among children. The research titled ‘The Impact of Handwriting on Indonesian Students' Literacy Skills’ involves 100 elementary schools in Jakarta and is projected to be completed by 2025. The launched module will also be available online through the AYO Menulis Academy, accessible via www.ayomenulis.id.
With this module launch, SiDU hopes to make a tangible contribution to improving student competencies in Indonesia and preparing the younger generation to face global challenges. The results of this research will be published in an academic journal and made available to the public in 2025.
