by Xinhua writer Li Fuyu
PURWOKERTO, Indonesia, April 26 (Xinhua) -- More than 200 principals, teachers and education officials from over 30 trilingual schools across Indonesia gathered at Puhua Trilingual School in Central Java on Saturday for a forum on Chinese-language education.
The event marked the 120th anniversary of Purwokerto Chinese School, the 20th anniversary of Puhua Trilingual School, and the first anniversary of the school's Confucius Classroom.
The Confucius Classroom was jointly established by Baoding University, the Baoding Secondary School Education Group and Puhua Trilingual School, and was officially inaugurated in January 2025. It became the first Confucius Classroom in Indonesia.
During the event, two large art installations made of red, white and blue paper umbrellas were unveiled in the auditorium. The umbrellas formed phrases including "Education for All" and "I Love Indonesia," reflecting the school's long-held educational philosophy.
Mandarin, Indonesian and English could be heard throughout the campus, where language is seen not only as a subject to study, but also as a way to connect people from different backgrounds.
Among Indonesia's many trilingual schools, Puhua is not the largest, but it has become a notable example of Chinese-language education. The school now has more than 1,000 students across two campuses.
Chen Tao, the school's principal, said more local families now view Chinese as more than an additional language, seeing it instead as a path to broader educational and professional opportunities.
That change is especially visible in the classroom.
Opsie Emalia Putri, an Indonesian teacher who had studied in China's Guangzhou and Tianjin, said students now learn Chinese through hands-on activities such as paper-cutting, calligraphy, traditional music and Chinese chess. "For many students, Chinese is no longer just something to memorize," she said. "It becomes something they can experience."
Teachers say that influence often reaches beyond school. Parents attending campus events sometimes try writing Chinese characters themselves after seeing what their children have learned, helping Chinese culture enter family life in a natural way.
For parents such as Tifany and Meliana, whose children study traditional Chinese dance and Guzheng, the value of the school lies in both language learning and cultural understanding. They said they would support their children if they later chose to continue their studies in China.
Former Education and Culture Attache of the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing Yudil Chatim said what impressed him most was the school's inclusiveness, with students from different ethnic and religious backgrounds learning together on one campus.
Ye Su, Chinese consul general in Surabaya, said trilingual schools have become an important model for Chinese-language education in Indonesia, while Puhua's Confucius Classroom offers young Indonesians a new way to better understand China.
Sjahriati Rochmah, assistant to Indonesia's Cabinet Secretariat, said the school's importance lies in helping children from different backgrounds grow together in the same environment.
Over the past year, the Confucius Classroom has expanded beyond campus through cultural exhibitions, calligraphy programs and language activities in universities and local communities.
Zhang Jinghuo, the Chinese director of the Confucius Classroom, said its role now goes beyond language teaching. "It has become a bridge, connecting China and Indonesia, and connecting schools with the wider community." ■
