From the Classroom to a Wider Impact

One afternoon, while students at SMAN 1 Warung Kiara in Sukabumi District were attending classes, Principal Pak Mamat sat in his spacious office, deep in thought. His expression was troubled, weighed down by the growing concern over a persistent issue—the rising school dropout rates. To Pak Mamat, every student who didn’t graduate wasn’t just a number, but a future cut short and a dream unfulfilled.

Three years ago, in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the school welcomed 432 new students. By the time graduation came, only 410 students completed their education.

“That means about 22 students dropped out along the way,” Pak Mamat said with a tone of concern.

Economic challenges and child marriage were the main causes of this troubling trend. Despite free education, many parents couldn’t afford transportation and other school-related expenses. However, child marriage was the most significant issue, forcing many students to leave school.

Independently Adopting GEMA CITA

In 2022, the GEMA CITA (End Child Marriage) Program, initiated by Plan Indonesia, brought a much-needed change. The program aimed to raise awareness about Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), anti-bullying, and child marriage prevention.

Pak Mamat welcomed the program with open arms. GEMA CITA aligned not only with the school curriculum of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia but also with his vision of nurturing students with strong character who support one another.

“So, there was no reason for us to reject it. In fact, we were very eager to adopt it,” Pak Mamat said enthusiastically.

Initially, GEMA CITA materials were only provided to students in grades 10 and 11. However, with his strong vision, Pak Mamat decided to expand the program’s reach, ensuring that all new students in the following academic year would also receive this crucial education. He was determined not to limit the positive impact of GEMA CITA to just a portion of the curriculum, but to embed it in every aspect of the school’s culture.

Through 18 discussion sessions, GEMA CITA played a pivotal role in shaping students’ character. A key element of the program was training students to become peer educators who would then pass on the materials to their classmates. Recognizing the importance of this role, Pak Mamat took further initiative. Using funds from the school’s operational budget (BOS), he trained 31 new peer educators in October 2023, ensuring that the legacy of peer education continued and that future students would benefit from this knowledge.

“We believe this program is very valuable and needs to be continued, so it’s our responsibility to train new peer educators to present these important topics to first-year students,” Pak Mamat confidently stated.

One of the key reasons for the success of his initiative was that peer educators not only shared GEMA CITA’s materials but also served as approachable figures for their peers. This made students feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics like child marriage and reproductive health rights.

Transformation of Teacher & Student

GEMA CITA didn’t just focus on students; it also had a profound impact on the teachers. One of the significant changes Pak Mamat implemented was transforming how teachers guided and interacted with students.

“At first, the methods my fellow teachers used were still quite traditional. When reprimanding students, they often used language and approaches that weren’t always appropriate,” Pak Mamat explained.

However, after gaining insights from GEMA CITA on issues such as child protection, violence against children, and children’s rights, teachers changed their approach. The shift was evident, as teachers began guiding students with more empathy and respect for children’s rights.

Safeguarding the Future of Students

This transformation extended beyond the classroom, leading to a broader impact. Before GEMA CITA, around 20 students had dropped out due to child marriage. But thanks to Pak Mamat’s commitment to improving the school environment and fostering open communication among teachers, the number of dropouts due to child marriage drastically decreased. Now, only four students had to leave school for child marriage reasons, and two of them even continued their education through open schooling—an important step in preserving their future.

Despite these improvements, Pak Mamat recognizes that challenges remain. He and the school’s administration continue working tirelessly to prevent more students from dropping out. They explore solutions for students who find themselves in difficult situations, such as

those experiencing child marriage or unplanned pregnancies. Pak Mamat and his team are always ready to support both students and their families in finding a way forward, suggesting

students continue their education through open schooling to ensure their education continues despite their circumstances.

“Two students who married young were able to complete their education through open schooling. Alhamdulillah, they graduated,” Pak Mamat proudly shared.

For Pak Mamat, this is proof that with the commitment of all parties and by ensuring children receive their rights, even the most challenging situations can be overcome, and their future can still be saved. As the leader of his school, Pak Mamat firmly believes that independent initiatives to protect his students’ futures, combined with open communication, are key to fostering positive change.

At his school, SMAN 1 Warung Kiara, fewer students are now dropping out due to child marriage, and more are seeing education as a gateway to their future. Pak Mamat remains optimistic and dedicated to ensuring that more students complete their education and avoid the trap of child marriage.