This week’s primary school assembly focuses on a major news story: Indonesia is planning to move its capital from Jakarta to the island of Borneo. This decision, recently announced by President Joko Widodo, signals major changes for the country as it outlines the planned name of the new capital—Nusantara. Why Is Indonesia Moving Its Capital? Indonesia’s current capital, Jakarta, is home to around 10 million people. Overcrowding, congestion, frequent flooding, and rapid sinking due to overextraction of groundwater are some of the most pressing problems facing the city. Parts of north Jakarta are collapsing by approximately 25cm each year, placing the city below sea level and increasing the risk of flooding. The government hopes that building Nusantara on Borneo will help relieve the burden on Jakarta and provide a fresh start, giving Indonesia an administrative capital designed for the future. What Will Nusantara Be Like? The vision for Nusantara is ambitious and thoughtful. Sibarani Sofian, the founder of Urban+, the company behind the city’s design, outlines several key features: Walkability: Nusantara aims to reduce car use, focusing on large green areas and botanical gardens that make walking comfortable, even in the region’s humid climate. Nature-inspired: The urban plan is based on biomimicry, imitating natural forests and adapting these features into the city's fabric to respect and enhance the environment. Elevated design: Parts of Nusantara will be built on stilts, allowing water, wind, and sunlight to flow beneath the city. This approach minimises the impact on the land and supports natural processes. Interconnecting skywalks: Walkways will connect buildings and transport links, making movement around the city safe, easy, and enjoyable. Why Is Jakarta Sinking? Jakarta’s problems are multi-layered. Its high population density means there is little green space left, leading to poor absorption of rainwater. Restricted access to piped water forces residents to pump groundwater, causing the ground to subside. Combined with rising sea levels due to climate change, flooding is a constant threat. Past solutions have included constructing seawalls, but the problem remains significant. What Makes a City? Cities are large places filled with people, opportunities, and activities. About a quarter of the world’s population lives in cities, making them the building blocks of society and the center of many communities. A city offers facilities like schools, leisure centers, shopping areas, theatres, public transport, and more. The density of jobs, educational sites, entertainment, and transport options attract people to cities and lead to their continual growth. Imagining the City of the Future As society evolves, cities must adapt to meet new challenges and opportunities. What should future cities include? Parks and green spaces, efficient public transport, diverse schools and entertainment, and eco-friendly solutions are just a few considerations. Children are invited to think about their dream cities—what would they look like and what would make them thrive? Learning Beyond the Headlines: Activities and Reflections This week’s assembly and classroom discussion prompts several questions: How does living in a congested city like Jakarta affect its residents? What can people do to help slow Jakarta’s sinking rate? How do population density and pollution relate? What facilities are most important in a city? How do communities differ between cities, towns, villages, and rural areas? Students can also take part in various follow-up activities, such as designing a dream city, reflecting on their local area, or exploring different modes of transport and how they connect communities. These activities encourage critical thinking on urban development, community needs, and sustainability. Vocabulary for the Week Burden: A difficult or unpleasant problem or responsibility. Congested: Too crowded and blocked with people or traffic. Overextraction: Removing more of something than is necessary or appropriate (e.g., groundwater). Proposed: Suggested as a possible plan or action. Society: A large group of people and their way of life. Thrive: Grow, develop, and be successful. Celebrating Learning and Curiosity This week’s resources also describe inspiring stories, such as a school in West Dunbartonshire that is actively promoting British Sign Language (BSL), and creative achievements like Joe Jenkins who plays piano in unique places. These stories showcase how learning new skills, trying creative stunts, or celebrating important events can bring joy and unite communities. Share and Reflect From extending school days to include more creative learning in Wales, to discussions on celebrating birthdays and significant events, this assembly encourages students to think, share, and reflect on what makes their community unique and supportive. Explore the latest Picture News resources here: https://picture-news.co.uk/free-sample Join our latest discussion here: https://picture-news.co.uk/discuss Explore our recent events and training here: https://picture-news.co.uk/training
