PANGKALPINANG -- The Indonesia Tin Museum (MTI) in Pangkalpinang, managed by PT TIMAH (Persero) Tbk, has become an educational destination where students can learn more about the history of tin mining, local culture, and the development of communities in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province.
The Indonesia Tin Museum was bustling with activity on Thursday (October 15, 2026), as 150 students and accompanying teachers from SMP Muhammadiyah Toboali, South Bangka Regency, visited the museum for an educational experience outside the classroom.
The students enthusiastically explored the museum, examined various historical artifacts, and learned about the history of tin mining, which has played an important role in the development of Bangka Belitung.
The visit was part of the school's outing class program, designed to provide students with hands-on learning experiences beyond the traditional classroom environment.
Redi Junaidi, Principal of SMP Muhammadiyah Toboali, said the Indonesia Tin Museum is a regular destination in the school's educational activities because its exhibits are closely related to the Social Studies curriculum.
According to Redi, the visit allows students to go beyond textbooks and directly observe historical artifacts related to tin mining, as well as the culture and traditions of the Bangka Belitung community.
"Every year, we organize an outing class program, and the Indonesia Tin Museum is one of our regular destinations. Here, students can learn about the history of tin mining in Bangka Belitung, including local culture and traditions that are relevant to their Social Studies lessons," Redi said.
He expressed hope that the Indonesia Tin Museum would continue expanding its educational materials and artifact collections, providing students and the wider community with more opportunities to learn about Bangka Belitung's history.
The students also showed great enthusiasm as they explored the museum. Mohammad Fazil, a student at SMP Muhammadiyah Toboali, said the visit gave him a new learning experience through the museum's collections, which illustrate the history of tin mining in his home region.
He was particularly interested in various historical objects made from tin, including coins, jewelry, and tableware. He also learned about different types of rocks, sand, mining equipment, and transportation tools used to move mined materials in the past.
For Fazil, seeing these collections firsthand made the history of tin mining easier to understand, bringing to life the concepts he had previously studied in textbooks.
Meanwhile, Saqillah Zalyara, an eighth-grade student, expressed her excitement about visiting the Indonesia Tin Museum. She said the museum offered students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their region's history, including information they might not have known before.
One exhibit that particularly caught her attention was the story of Depati Amir, a regional hero known for his struggle. She even read the historical information several times to gain a better understanding of his contributions and his important place in Bangka Belitung's history.
The students' visit demonstrates that museums serve not only as places to preserve historical artifacts but also as educational spaces that help younger generations understand their region's identity, heritage, and historical development. (*)
