TUNGKU API SEBAGAI SEKOLAH KEHIDUPAN

The Diocese of Timika suggests that the traditional hearth, or tungku api, should serve as a school of life for children in Papua. This perspective argues that education in the region has relied too heavily on formal metrics such as school buildings, curricula, books, and administration.

The Diocese notes that before entering a classroom, Papuan children learn from their families, nature, gardens, forests, and rivers. The hearth acts as a central learning space where families gather to share food, listen, offer advice, resolve problems, and teach moral values and social norms. Through observing and participating in these communal activities around the fire, children gain knowledge rooted in real experience.

The Diocese further states that current educational models in Papua often incorrectly apply standardized views as the sole measure of success. This approach fails to account for the specific geographic, social, cultural, and linguistic conditions of Papua.