Central Papua waives school fees for 26,511 secondary school students

Nabire – The Central Papua Education and Culture Directorate (Disdikbud) has waived school fees for 26,511 secondary school students in 2026 to improve access to education and reduce dropout rates in the region.

Acting Head Nurhaidah stated the free education programme covers 148 secondary schools across eight districts. “This year, the government is providing free education to 26,511 secondary school students across 148 schools in Central Papua,” she said.

She added the programme is funded by the Provincial Operational School Assistance (Bosda) allocated by the provincial government to recipient schools.

She stated that in 2025, the Central Papua Provincial Government will fund free education for 26,951 senior secondary, vocational and special needs school students across 132 schools in eight districts. Additionally, the local government provides financial assistance for university students.

“Since 2025, the provincial government has been covering tuition fees, final projects, field practicums, and graduation costs for 5,216 students across 25 universities in Central Papua,” she said.

She noted that the free school policy and student financial aid have significantly reduced dropouts due to economic constraints, and encourage graduates to pursue higher education.

“With this free school policy, we hope primary school graduates continue to secondary school, secondary school graduates to senior secondary, and senior secondary or vocational school graduates to university,” she said.

Earlier, Central Papua Governor Meki Nawipa stated the education fee waiver is part of the local government’s commitment to prioritising human resource development.

He added that no school fees should be charged to secondary students once the free education programme is implemented, with legal action taken against schools demanding payments from prospective students.

However, free education for primary schools cannot be implemented this year as the government is updating the Basic Education Data (Dapodik). “We must first ensure the Dapodik for primary schools,” Nawipa said.