Integrating cultural heritage into education: the supportive role of schools in traditional festivals in West Sulawesi

In the era of globalization, many forms of intangible cultural heritage are eroding in schools and communities. This study examines how the Sayyang Pattudu festival in West Sulawesi, Indonesia, can be mobilized through schooling to sustain cultural knowledge and practice. We investigated how schools and communities organize festival-based learning and what educational outcomes emerge for students. We conducted a qualitative case study using semistructured interviews with four participants—a horse rider, a local tourism office representative, a cultural practitioner, and a school principal. Data were analyzed through reflexive thematic procedures informed by sociocultural and experiential learning perspectives. Three salient findings emerged: (1) school–community–government partnerships enable coherent planning, resourcing, and legitimacy for festival based learning; (2) curriculum-embedded, experiential tasks before, during, and after the event deepen cultural literacy and connect classroom objectives with lived community practices; and (3) embodied participation in music, ritual, and costume strengthens student identity and cultural capital, fostering belonging and social cohesion. The study contributes a replicable model for integrating local festivals into formal education in an under researched Indonesian context, extend- ing sociocultural and cultural-capital accounts of how students learn through community practice. Practical implications include targeted teacher professional development in culturally responsive pedagogy, calendar recognition for festival- based learning, and participatory governance among schools, cultural boards, and local government.