103 Free Private Schools in Jakarta Deemed Capable of Ending Withheld Diploma Cases

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government’s policy of introducing 103 free private schools is considered a solution to address the issue of withheld diplomas and students dropping out of school due to education cost problems.

Deputy Chairman of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Basri Baco, stated that educational issues such as school fee arrears, which lead to those two problems, are still commonly found in Jakarta.

“If we want to achieve that, there should be no more children dropping out of school, not attending school because their parents cannot pay, and no more withheld diplomas,” said Baco in a written statement received by Kompas.com on Thursday (14/5/2026).

In the discussion, it was conveyed that education has a direct relationship with the level of societal welfare. Therefore, improving the quality of education must be a priority in Jakarta’s development.

“Today, Jakarta wants to become a global city. One of the factors is that the education level must be high,” said Baco.

Baco assessed that the most realistic solution to address educational problems is to provide free private schools.

“I say, the solution is only one: free private schools. There is no other solution,” he stressed.

“Until doomsday, if there are no free schools, this problem cannot be solved. Thus, withheld diplomas and school dropouts will continue to occur,” he said.

Previously, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government through the DKI Jakarta Education Office prepared 103 free private schools spread across five administrative regions of Jakarta.

Head of the DKI Jakarta Education Office, Nahdiana, said that currently 40 schools have implemented the programme until the end of the academic year and will add 63 schools starting in June 2026.

“40 schools from now until the academic year until June. Then starting in June, there will be an addition of 63 schools. So a total of 103 schools,” said Nahdiana at Jakarta City Hall on Wednesday (22/4/2026).

The selected private schools are prioritised to be located in sub-districts that do not yet have educational units owned by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government so that educational access can reach more students.

The following is the list of 103 free private schools in DKI Jakarta:

West Jakarta

Secondary School Level (SMP):

SMP Muhammadiyah 32

SMP Al Inayah

SMP Al Hasanah

SMP Cindera Mata Indah

SMP Garuda

SMP Melania I

SMP Kembangan