Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) has awarded the City Government of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, for innovation in revitalizing local language program.
Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim handed over the award to Banjarmasin Mayor H Ibnu Sina in Jakarta, Thursday.
"Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) thanks to prayers and support of all Banjarmasin City residents, we have again received an award in supporting revitalization of local language," said Ibnu Sina when confirmed in Banjarmasin.
Banjarmasin, he said, is a Heritage City of the Archipelago that consists of 36 ethnicities and uses 28 regional languanges.
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The diversity can be seen from many speakers of Banjar language who make it their second language after Indonesian.
"We will continue to develop it as one of the languange enrichment, especially to preserve Banjar language as one of the cultural herigate. We have implemented it through Mayor Regulation (Perwali) No. 86 of 2023 on Local Content Curriculum that obliges revitalization of local language in schools," he expounded.
The Ministry assessed Banjarmasin government under the leadership of Ibnu Sina had innovated to fully support the local language revitalization program, especially Banjar language.
The Mayor fully facilitated teachers to create various program and activities to preserve local language.
He also initiated Banjar language as local content (Mulok) at the elementary and junior high school level by issuing regulation (Perwali).
The steps taken were clearly seen through the provision of Banjar textbooks as support which were distributed for free to all elementary schools.
Banjarmasin goverment has successfully mobilized thousands of elementary and junior high school teachers and students throughout the city to care about and participate in the preservation of Banjar language and produced tens of thousands of young speakers who love the language.
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