Tana Tidung, August 19, 2026 — A team from the Regional Language Center in East Kalimantan conducted a monitoring and evaluation visit for the Tidung Language Revitalization Program in Tana Tidung Regency from August 11 to 13, 2026. The team visited four locations, namely Agency of Education and Culture of Tana Tidung Regency Office, SDN 013 Tana Tidung, SDN 001 Tana Tidung, and SMP Negeri Terpadu Unggulan 1 Tana Tidung.
At the Agency of Education and Culture Office, the team was received by Zulfiansyah, Head of Curriculum and Student Affairs Section. Zulfiansyah welcomed the delegation and expressed his gratitude for the visit. He reaffirmed the office’s commitment to the success of the revitalization program, noting that they consistently evaluate the implementation of Tidung language instruction in local schools.
During the visit to SDN 013 Tana Tidung, the team was welcomed by the principal, the Tidung language teacher, and fifth and sixth grade students, alongside representatives from the Agency of Education and Culture Office. Asdiana, the school’s principal and a Tidung language mentor, stated that the school has successfully integrated Tidung language instruction into its local curriculum. To prepare for the FTBI Festival regional selection, Asdiana and the local curriculum teacher have selected talented students to compete. The students demonstrated remarkable enthusiasm for preserving their regional language.
The following day, the team visited SDN 001 Tana Tidung, where they were welcomed by Principal Abdul Manaf, Tidung language teachers, and fourth and sixth grade students. During this visit, the team conducted interviews, assessed the students’ proficiency in the local language, and evaluated their overall performance.
The team’s final visit was to SMP Negeri Terpadu Unggulan 1 Tana Tidung. The event was highly engaging, with all eighth grade students gathering alongside the monitoring team and teachers. Talented students show their Tidung language skills through poetry readings, storytelling, speeches, and performances of traditional Tidung songs. Across all three schools, teachers and students extended a warm welcome to the team. Beyond evaluation, the team encouraged the students to take pride in their heritage and actively participate in preserving their local language.
Efforts to promote the Tidung language in Tana Tidung Regency are yielding positive results, evidenced by the integration of Tidung language instruction into the local curriculum at both elementary and junior high school levels. Furthermore, teaching materials for the local curriculum have been published and distributed to schools. With the strong enthusiasm from both teachers and students, the Tidung language is expected to continue flourishing. This growing interest will help expand its speaker base, ensuring the language’s survival and safeguarding it from extinction.
Translated by Muhammad Erwin Darma