Bima Arya: Education is the Key to Maximising the Demographic Bonus

Bima Arya emphasised this point while representing the Minister of Home Affairs, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, during the launch of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 3 of 2026 concerning the Prevention and Handling of Out-of-School Children. The event was held via a hybrid format at the Djunaedi Hadisumarto Building, Ministry of National Development Planning (PPN)/Bappenas, Jakarta, today.

“One of the primary keys to maximising the demographic bonus is education. We will lose this golden momentum if we do not focus on this dimension. Coordination between the central government and regional governments is key for us,” Bima Arya stated in a written release on Wednesday (3/6/2026).

He revealed several main factors contributing to high rates of out-of-school children (ATS). These include economic issues and poverty, social and cultural aspects that influence public perception of education, limited access to education—particularly in underdeveloped, frontier, and remote areas—and the suboptimal connection between the education sector and labour market requirements.

“Furthermore, on the ground, we see obstacles such as street children and neglected children who often lose their right to schooling due to a lack of necessary civil identity documents,” he explained.

Bima also detailed various steps taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) to support the handling of out-of-school children. This includes coaching regional governments (Pemda) to meet Minimum Service Standards (SPM) in the field of education through Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budgets (APBD).

“We are ensuring that these regions focus on the SPM in the education sector,” he added.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has also issued policies providing space for regional governments to utilise Unforeseen Expenditure (BTT) to support education programmes in accordance with statutory regulations. This tactical intervention is intended to directly impact the achievement of specific education-related SPM targets for 2024.

“This is a tactical regulatory intervention from the Ministry of Home Affairs. If we look at this Presidential Regulation, it contains several very significant substances that all regional heads should recognise, as it serves as a powerful tool,” he asserted.

During the event, Bima expressed appreciation for the initiative of the South Sulawesi Provincial Government, which actively builds collaborations with various parties, including through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) forums. He noted that CSR forums can serve as vital instruments to optimise funding sources outside the APBD to support education programmes.

“Regional heads who take the initiative to build effective CSR forums can fill the gaps that the APBD cannot meet. Therefore, we appreciate the Governor of South Sulawesi for his active CSR forum, as it is one of the keys to navigating funding problems,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of PPN/Head of Bappenas, Rachmat Pambudy, emphasised that the launch of Presidential Regulation Number 3 of 2026 serves as a strong foundation for the prevention and handling of out-of-school children in Indonesia. These efforts align with the mandate of Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees the right of every citizen to obtain an education.

“With that foundation, we are strengthening the synergy between central and regional governments and facilitating the involvement of various sectors in reaching, assisting, and returning children to educational services,” he concluded.