Artificial intelligence (AI) and coding will soon be introduced as elective subjects for fifth-grade elementary school students starting in the 2025/2026 academic year.
According to Abdul Mu’ti, the Indonesian Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, this initiative aims to prepare a competitive young generation capable of thriving globally.
Responding to the government’s plan to teach AI at the elementary level, Iradat Wirid, a digital transformation researcher at the Center for Digital Society (CfDS UGM), stated that the government should not rush into implementing AI and coding education for elementary students.
He warned that the government appears to be hastily following AI trends without adequate preparation. Delivering such materials could potentially harm students if not supported by sufficient digital literacy.
“In practice, the material needs to be delivered in stages. We cannot just start teaching AI applications to elementary school children; that would be a disaster. We must first equip them with logic, ethics, and digital literacy,” he emphasized on Monday (May 19).
According to Wirid, three key foundations must be embedded in Indonesia’s primary and secondary education AI curriculum.
The first is ethics. Wirid stressed that introducing AI to students should not merely highlight technological sophistication but must include understanding rights, impacts, and usage boundaries.
“It must go beyond teaching them how to use the applications. Teaching elementary school students how to use ChatGPT, for example, would only raise an instant-minded generation,” he explained.
The second is literacy. Wirid argued that students’ digital literacy needs to be fundamentally restructured to include the ability to filter reliable information, understand relevant regulations, and distinguish ethical and legal use of technology.
“Technology must be controlled by humans, not the other way around. A human-centered approach that continuously improves digital literacy must serve as the foundation,” he stated.
The third is critical thinking skills. Iradat warned that the emergence of new technologies must encourage students to develop critical reasoning instead of making them passive.
“If AI merely becomes a tool that lulls them to sleep, it’s pointless. Children must be invited to question, critique, and understand the impact of technology,” he said.
Wirid also cited several countries as reference points. He emphasized that Indonesia can learn from successful global examples while adjusting them to suit local cultural contexts and readiness.
China, for instance, has built an integrated AI education system from the ground up to support its tech industry. India focuses on shaping digital human resources from the secondary level, while Brazil promotes applied AI education at the vocational level.
“In Sweden, first to third graders are introduced to basic mathematics linked to technology, along with social studies to help them understand the social impacts of technology. This is essential to ensure that future coders retain human sensitivity, not just technical skills,” he noted.
He also underlined the need for continuity across the curriculum. While Indonesia may be somewhat behind in implementing such a system, he said it’s better to start late than not, provided the program is consistently monitored and the curriculum is not frequently changed.
“Just don’t let it be abandoned after five years,” he added.
Regarding implementation, Iradat expressed confidence that Indonesian teachers can teach basic AI logic and understanding as long as sound policies and adequate support from local governments support them.
“Our teachers are fully capable; this is foundational education. The funding is available. It just depends on whether we truly want to educate this nation wholeheartedly,” he concluded.
Author: Bolivia Rahmawati
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Illustration: Freepik