In SNT classrooms, dreams are taking shape,
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Every child has a dream about the future they want to achieve.
Some want to wear a doctor's coat, become researchers, serve the country as diplomats, develop singing talent, or make their mark in sports.
These dreams take different forms, but they share one essential need: opportunity.
Children need an environment that encourages them to try, teachers who guide them along the way, and room to discover their abilities.
That is the opportunity Agisni Ramadani, a student at National Integrated School (SNT) 7 in Bogor District, West Java, hopes to seize.
She wants to gain knowledge, develop her abilities, and prepare herself to achieve her dream of becoming a specialist doctor.
"I am very happy after being accepted here. I hope to grow and become even better. I want to become a specialist doctor," Ramadani said.
Far from Bogor, Marisa, a new junior high school student at an SNT in Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara, also sees school as a path toward her aspirations. She hopes to develop her passion for singing, which she continues to hone through daily practice.
For Marisa, education is not just about understanding lessons. It is also an opportunity to discover her abilities and pursue her interests. With a supportive learning environment, she hopes to keep improving her voice and developing her talent.
Safe environment
At SNT 6 in Bone Bolango District, Gorontalo, Nurfadhilah Ramadhani Djamal has found a school where she enjoys not only learning and pursuing achievements, but also spending time with friends who make her feel accepted.
The high school student, who excels in athletics, dreams of becoming foreign minister. For her, having a welcoming group of friends is an important part of pursuing her ambitions.
"The friends here are nice, there is no bullying," Djamal said.
Feeling safe and accepted by her peers gives her room to grow and develop her potential. She believes that good friendships can help build self-confidence.
A supportive learning environment also shapes teachers' professional growth.
Firda Aulia Shalihah, an Indonesian language teacher at SNT 6 in Bone Bolango, said her students' enthusiasm motivates her to keep expanding her knowledge and improving her teaching skills.
"So that is what makes me say, 'Wow, I, too, must be like them. The drive to upgrade myself must be greater than theirs,'" Shalihah said.
In her view, students are not merely recipients of knowledge. They also have ideas and experiences to share. Learning, she said, should not be limited to teachers explaining lessons while students listen.
When children are encouraged to ask questions, express opinions, and share knowledge, classrooms can become places where teachers and students learn and grow together.
This emphasis on nurturing students' curiosity is reflected in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Sports (STEAMS) approach applied at SNT.
Rather than simply memorizing theories, students explore concepts, collaborate, test ideas, and seek solutions to problems.
At SNT 7 in Bogor, this approach takes shape through a project called "Smart Perimeter: Explore, Detect, Protect Indonesia-Singapore Sea Border."
Students combine concepts from Pancasila Education, physics, informatics, and coding to design a system that detects approaching objects and issues warnings through lights and a buzzer.
The project turns textbook concepts into practical experience. Students apply their knowledge, develop solutions, and learn how different fields of study can complement one another to produce tangible results.
Quality learning
Equally important is ensuring that every child has access to quality education and opportunities to develop their potential.
According to data from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, only 263 of Indonesia's 7,288 sub-districts, or about 4 percent, have both a public junior high school and a public senior high school that achieve good educational quality standards.
To address this challenge, President Prabowo Subianto has tasked the ministry with developing SNT, which integrate junior and senior high school education into a continuous learning ecosystem.
Director General of Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, and Nonformal and Informal Education Gogot Suharwoto said SNT are designed to strengthen academic abilities, build character, and give students opportunities to discover their interests and develop their talents.
"National Integrated Schools are a government program to answer national education challenges in improving learning quality and resolving access inequality between regions," Suharwoto said.
He said the schools combine junior and senior high school education and are equipped with modern, world-class infrastructure.
A total of 17 SNT are operating in the 2026/2027 academic year across the districts of Bogor, Cianjur, Gowa, Bone Bolango, Banyumas, Jepara, Donggala, Bolaang Mongondow, North Minahasa, Kupang, Central Buton, Tebo, and East Tanjung Jabung.
The schools also operate in the cities of Tidore Islands, Subulussalam, and Tarakan, as well as in the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) area. Their distribution reflects the Prabowo-Gibran administration's effort to expand access to integrated education across the country, ensuring that opportunities for quality learning are not concentrated on Java.
"We continue to carry out assistance and supervision regularly so the operation of National Integrated Schools stays consistent and sustainable on the principles of excellence, inclusiveness, and character," Suharwoto said.
Ultimately, the success of SNT will be measured not only by the number of schools established or students admitted, but also by how many children are given the opportunity to grow and discover their potential.
In SNT classrooms, dreams are taking shape, while teachers continue learning and guiding students along the way, helping ensure those dreams do not remain mere aspirations.
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Editor: M Razi Rahman
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