Kutai Kartanegara to Preserve Mother Tongue through Language Lesson in School

RRI.CO.ID, Tenggarong - The Kutai Kartanegara Subdistrict Administration in East Kalimantan is strengthening the use of the Kutai language in schools to prevent the extinction of the mother tongue among younger generations. The initiative aims to ensure that local children remain familiar with their own language amid the growing influence of modern languages.

“We are Kutai people. We are the rightful heirs of the Kutai language. We must not allow our children to grow up without knowing their regional language,” said the Assistant I for Government and People’s Welfare at the Kutai Kartanegara Regional Secretariat, Akhmad Taufik Hidayat, in Tenggarong on Friday, September 11, 2026.

He said schools played an important role in preserving the continuity of regional languages. Schools provide a strategic space to introduce and familiarize students with the use of the Kutai language.

According to him, preserving a regional language cannot rely solely on ceremonial activities, but must be realized through continuous learning and language use in schools. The Kutai Kartanegara Subdistrict Administration had strengthened its local-content policy for the Kutai language. The policy is based on Kutai Kartanegara Regent Regulation No. 69 of 2019 and Regent Decree No. 413/SK-BUP/HK/2022.

He also said the Kutai Kartanegara regent had instructed the Education and Culture Agency to conduct regular monitoring and evaluations of the implementation of the local-content program. The evaluations are needed to ensure that textbooks are being used, teachers are prepared to teach the subject, and students are able to understand and use the Kutai language.

“If we want the Kutai language to remain alive, it must be alive in schools. Let us instill the spirit of keeping Kutai culture alive so it can be passed on to younger generations,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

He expressed appreciation for the strengthening of the mother tongue, marked by the declaration of the Kutai Language Preservation Movement. The event, held on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, also featured the launch of Kutai language textbooks published by Yudhistira at the Putri Karang Melenu Building in Tenggarong Seberang.

In addition to the declaration on Kutai language preservation, the event also included the launch of the Kutai Kartanegara Basic Education Data Processing for Appropriate Policy Recommendations application (ORBIT). The innovation is intended to support data-driven education management in the area. ***