SEAToday.com, Jakarta - Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu'ti emphasized the importance of preserving children's songs in Indonesia by encouraging the creation of new songs suitable for young audiences.

"We often joke about how children used to sing 'Balonku Ada Lima,' but now they sing 'Menghitung Hari.' They used to sing 'Pelangi-Pelangi Alangkah Indahmu,' but now it's 'Ada Pelangi di Matamu,'" said Abdul Mu'ti during the announcement of the winners of the Early Childhood Learning Song Creation Competition (Kicau) in Jakarta on Sunday.

He explained that the Kicau competition was organized to introduce songs that instill character values, love for the homeland, care for nature, and other noble values in children.

In this event, 10 children's songs were selected as winners from approximately 400 submissions. These songs will later be compiled into a single album.

"I have also requested the committee to review the non-winning songs. If possible, we will compile more songs, not just 10, but hopefully 20 or more," he added.

Abdul Mu'ti also mentioned that the selected songs would be uploaded to YouTube and the official website of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. Additionally, they will be distributed in accessible formats to ensure that preschools, early childhood education centers, and other institutions can use them effectively.

During the same event, Director General of Teachers, Educational Personnel, and Teacher Education at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Nunuk Suryani, explained that this initiative aims to enrich Indonesia's collection of children's songs.

"Moreover, these songs can serve as fun learning tools for early childhood educators, helping them teach subjects like mathematics and counting in a more engaging way," she stated.

Nunuk also added that the winners of this competition would receive Intellectual Property Rights (HAKI) as a form of recognition for their work.

She expressed hope that the songs created through this initiative would have a positive impact on Indonesian children.