A Second School Behind the Big City

In a city where school buildings stand in almost every area, some residents still have to find another way to obtain a diploma. It is not because schools are unavailable, but because life once pulled them out of the classroom. Some dropped out to work. Others were forced to leave due to family issues, economic hardship, health problems, or other circumstances that made formal education impossible. Many only realised years later that a certificate could determine so many of life’s doors. At this point, equivalency education takes on a significance far greater than simply catching up on schooling. The Surabaya city government now provides 26 equivalency education locations, consisting of nine Krisna (Kesetaraan Hadir untuk Masyarakat) programme sites and 17 Community Learning Activity Centres (PKBM). These locations utilise spaces close to residents’ daily lives, such as sub-district halls and neighbourhood association (RW) halls. This choice is important. Education does not always have to wait for citizens to come to a school building. For some communities, educational services must move closer to where they live and work. Krisna also offers Paket A, B, and C, equivalent to primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary school levels. Flexible scheduling is a key strength, as learners are not always in a situation that allows them to follow a formal school timetable. This policy aligns with the principle that education is the right of every citizen. However, the success of equivalency education should not be measured solely by the number of learning sites opened or the number of residents who receive a certificate. The more important question is whether citizens who once left the education system can truly return, persist, complete their learning, and use their knowledge and skills to improve their lives. That is where measuring success becomes far more complex.