Building Quality Human Resources: Deputy MPR Speaker Advocates for Equitable Early Childhood Education in Rural Areas

Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat (Rerie) has called for the expansion of early childhood education (PAUD) services to reach rural areas across the country. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to develop nationally competitive human resources for the future.

“Early educational stimulation is essential for establishing a strong learning foundation for every child of the nation, enabling them to become a competitive next generation,” Rerie said in a statement on Friday (20 February 2026).

Data from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as of August 2025 shows that of Indonesia’s 82,000 villages, approximately 20,000 still lack PAUD services.

Meanwhile, accreditation results from the PAUD Association in 2025 recorded that 73 per cent of kindergartens (TK) held B-grade accreditation, whilst only 50 per cent of playgroups (Kelompok Bermain) and 67 per cent of childcare centres (Tempat Penitipan Anak) achieved the same grade.

CSIS also noted that the fundamental weaknesses of PAUD in Indonesia are limited access and inadequate policies to support the equitable provision of early childhood education down to the village level.

“These findings must be followed up immediately with measurable concrete steps, so that the various obstacles facing PAUD delivery can be addressed with appropriate action,” Rerie said.

Rerie argued that limited public access to PAUD risks creating disparities in the quality of national human resources in the future. She maintained that the quality of children who receive early educational stimulation differs markedly from those who do not. A strong learning foundation, she added, is essential in the developmental process of becoming individuals with strong character and competitive ability.

Rerie stressed that full support from stakeholders at both central and regional government levels is vital for delivering quality early education to every child in the nation.

“I hope that PAUD provision can be spread evenly and made easily accessible to communities across villages throughout the country, for the sake of producing a competitive next generation capable of realising justice and equitable prosperity for every child of the nation,” she concluded.