DPR: Funding Support for 13-Year Compulsory Education Strengthens Access to Education

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Chair of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR), Hetifah Sjaifudian, stated that the government’s commitment to expanding 13-year compulsory education broadens opportunities to obtain education, and must therefore be accompanied by guaranteed access, quality, and adequate financing. “The 13-year compulsory education must be interpreted as the state’s commitment to ensure children not only enter school, but also stay, learn well, and complete their education. Therefore, support for financing, facilities and infrastructure, teachers, as well as interventions for vulnerable groups must go hand in hand,” Hetifah said in Jakarta on Friday. According to her, the state needs to ensure that children from poor families, disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost regions (3T), persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups can genuinely participate in education sustainably. Hetifah confirmed that Commission X of the DPR will oversee these government commitments through its legislative, budgetary, and supervisory functions. She said the state address should serve as a momentum to translate the vision of educational development into concrete policies, programmes, and budgeting. “Commission X is ready to oversee the realisation of the President’s commitments in a concrete, measurable, and equitable manner. We want educational development to truly become a long-term investment in building superior, competitive, and character-driven Indonesian human resources, while upholding justice,” Hetifah said. The government is targeting the distribution of Early Childhood Education Operational Assistance (BOP PAUD) funds for 6.3 million pupils to support the implementation of the 13-year compulsory education programme. In a separate occasion, Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that the budget allocation for the distribution of BOP PAUD funds has been included in the education programme expenditure of Rp820.9 trillion in the 2027 Draft State Budget (RAPBN). “In accordance with the 1945 Constitution, the state prioritises an education budget of at least 20 percent of the state budget for the implementation of national education,” Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said during a press conference on the 2027 RAPBN and Financial Note in Central Jakarta on Friday. He added that this allocation grew by 13.9 percent compared to the education budget outlook for the 2026 state budget of Rp720.8 trillion. In addition to BOP PAUD, the education programme expenditure in the 2027 RAPBN is also allocated for the distribution of the Indonesia Pintar Programme (PIP) funds for 22.1 million pupils, School Operational Assistance (BOS) funds for 54.2 million pupils, as well as to support a school and madrasah renovation programme targeting 12,215 units. Meanwhile, to support teacher welfare, he explained that the education programme expenditure in the 2027 RAPBN is also ready to be allocated for Non-Civil Servant Teacher Professional Allowance (TPG) for 1.3 million non-civil servant teachers and for Regional Civil Servant Teacher Professional Allowance (TPG) for 1.7 million teachers in the regions.