DPD RI Group in MPR Highlights Imbalance in Public and Private University Management

Dedi noted the issue of many university graduates being unemployed due to lack of job opportunities. According to BPS statistics, unemployment stood at 7.28 million in February 2025 with an open unemployment rate of 4.76%. This figure rose by 83,000 compared to 2024. When examined by education level, secondary school and university graduates accounted for the highest unemployment numbers. ‘This indicates a large portion of the young workforce is not being absorbed by available jobs,’ Dedi stated in a press release on Monday (25 May 2026). This was delivered by Dedi during his opening speech at the Public Discussion on ‘The Strategic Role of Higher Education as a Locomotive of Progress Towards Golden Indonesia 2045’ at Santika Hotel in Bintaro, South Tangerang, Banten, on Monday (25 May 2026). Dedi added that another issue is the imbalance between public and private universities in terms of new student intake capacity. He explained this imbalance stems from some public universities accepting large numbers of new students, while private institutions face drastic declines in enrolment, threatening their existence in regional areas. ‘This is due to unclear regulations on proportional new student intake quotas across public universities,’ Dedi said. He further noted a gap between public and private universities in educational service quality, facilities, and tuition costs, which influences new students’ preference for public institutions. ‘This gap may arise from insufficient government attention to private universities, especially in regional areas, causing them to struggle against public counterparts,’ Dedi said. Dedi stressed that Indonesia’s education ecosystem operates on a liberal approach, forcing public and private universities to compete freely for students. ‘Universities that lose out or are uncompetitive will lose students and shut down, impacting their future, especially in regional areas,’ he said. In response, Dedi urged the DPD RI to review and monitor the implementation of the draft education law, in line with its constitutional authority under Article 22D (2) and (3) of the 1945 Constitution. ‘Therefore, the DPD must focus on the future of education and universities, particularly in regional areas, to foster constructive and solution-oriented ideas for a fairer education ecosystem,’ he added. Dedi added that the government must support universities to enhance education quality and produce high-quality human resources, thereby realising the Prabowo-Gibran administration’s Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. Following the discussion, Dedi stressed the importance of equitable higher education management between private and public institutions, which he said is crucial for achieving Golden Indonesia 2045 targets, particularly in improving the Human Development Index through education. He also highlighted the need to revise overlapping and non-cooperative regulations between ministries and agencies. ‘If regulations between ministries or agencies are not complementary, they must be referred to lawmakers for revision,’ he concluded.