Observer: Merdeka Belajar Carnival Reinforces Culture and Education Are Closely Related

Jakarta – The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) held the Merdeka Belajar Carnival in Yogyakarta on Sunday (28/5/2023).

The Merdeka Belajar Carnival is the culmination of the 2023 National Education Day celebration, carrying the theme Moving Together to Celebrate Merdeka Belajar.

The Merdeka Belajar Carnival featured various cultural attractions, such as dances, musical performances, video mapping, supported by the arrangement of technology and colorful lights that depicted the journey of 24 episodes of the Merdeka Belajar program from Kemendikbudristek.

The implementation of the Merdeka Belajar Carnival carries the philosophy of the educational trilogy from Ki Hadjar Dewantara, namely Handaya Karsa Hambangun Tuladha, which signifies a moment of togetherness in public spaces.

The Merdeka Belajar Carnival involved 500 supporting participants from artists, cultural activists, education observers, students, and schoolchildren.

Director of the Nusantara Sociocultural Studies Center at National University (Unas) Iskandarsyah Siregar stated that the Merdeka Belajar Carnival is an innovative event initiated by Kemendikbudristek.

According to Iskandarsyah, the Merdeka Belajar Carnival provides an understanding that culture and education cannot be separated.

“The emergence of Indonesian culture is the result of the intelligent thoughts of our ancestors. They practiced the knowledge they acquired into local treasures and customs. There is an intersection there (between education and culture) that interprets culture as an intellectual work,” explained Iskandarsyah on Tuesday (30/5/2023).

Iskandarsyah mentioned that through the Merdeka Belajar Carnival, the community is invited to understand that the results of education will inherit positive aspects for the future, one of which is cultural works.

“I see the Merdeka Belajar Carnival as a motivational festival for the community so that they do not tire of learning and being educated, as it determines the sustainability of the nation's future, one of which is to preserve cultural traditions,” said Iskandarsyah.

Director General of Culture at Kemendikbudristek Hilmar Farid stated that cultural creativity is considered to have a significant role in realizing Merdeka Belajar, which is currently initiated by the government.

According to him, from cultural works, talents, interests, and potentials of each individual can emerge, which relates to the goals of Merdeka Belajar.

Meanwhile, Director of Film, Music, and Media at Kemendikbudristek Ahmad Mahendra expressed that the organization of the Merdeka Belajar Carnival emphasizes that culture and education must be sustainable to educate the community so that they do not stop creating.

As information, the Merdeka Belajar Carnival started from the Vrederburg Fort Museum, which is also one of the cultural heritage sites managed by Kemendikbudristek. 

After that, the carnival parade continued towards the 0 Km point in Yogyakarta, which signifies the face of the cultural crossroads of the archipelago and the birth of the first education city in Indonesia, up to Marga Mulya Street, South Malioboro.