Education as the Foundation for Regional Development Towards a 'Mbois Berkelas' Malang

The Malang City Government is placing education as the primary foundation for sustainable regional development and for facing future challenges. The city’s predicate as a City of Education, supported by more than 50 universities and hundreds of educational units from primary to secondary levels, makes it a living learning space and a centre for the birth of knowledge, innovation, and young talent from various regions in Indonesia. The growing academic atmosphere not only enlivens educational activities but also drives the economy, research, culture, and the creative industry. This strategic role has been further strengthened after the central government designated Malang City as one of 50 national priority areas in the Metropolitan City Development Programme for 2025–2029. This designation is an acknowledgement of Malang City’s position as a regional growth centre, as well as a mandate to strengthen the quality of human resources as the foundation for an inclusive, smart, and sustainable metropolitan city. This awareness forms the basis for the Malang City Government in making education a regional development priority. This spirit is realised through the vision ‘Towards Malang Mbois Berkelas’, which places education as a foundation for human development. Through the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan, the Regional Government Work Plan, the ‘Dasa Bakti Unggulan’ (Ten Excellent Services), and five regional priority programmes, the Malang City Government continues to expand access to quality, equitable, and inclusive education. This commitment is realised through scholarship programmes, free school uniforms, and educational assistance as part of the five flagship regional programmes. These various programmes are designed so that no child loses the opportunity to learn due to economic limitations. Concurrently, the government continues to strengthen the quality of education by improving school facilities and infrastructure, transforming to digital-based learning, enhancing teacher competencies, and collaborating with universities, the business world, and the community. This step also serves as the implementation of the ‘Dasa Bakti Unggulan Ngalam Pinter’ (Smart Malang Excellent Service), which is directed at delivering increasingly high-quality and equitable education services. This policy aligns with the Asta Cita of the President and Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, particularly in strengthening superior human resource development, improving the quality of basic services, and preparing a generation capable of realising the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. These various policies are beginning to show tangible results. According to data from the Malang City Central Statistics Agency, the Expected Years of Schooling has exceeded 16 years, reflecting the growing opportunities for children in Malang City to pursue education up to the tertiary level. Meanwhile, the Mean Years of Schooling reached 11.36 years, indicating that the average resident has completed education up to the senior high school level. This achievement has helped push Malang City’s Human Development Index up to 85.55 in 2025, one of the highest in East Java. From the perspective of public service quality, Malang City’s achievements also show encouraging progress. In 2026, the Minimum Service Standard for Education reached a score of 90.78 with a ‘Tuntas Utama’ (Primary Completion) predicate, an increase from 87.90 the previous year. This achievement places Malang City as the region with the best national Minimum Service Standard achievement in the education sector, while proving that increased access to education goes hand in hand with improved service quality. For the Malang City Government, these achievements are not merely a series of statistics. Education is viewed as a development investment that will determine the future face of the city. Therefore, educational development does not stop at providing learning facilities but is also directed at shaping a generation that is academically excellent, has character, is creative, is adaptive to technological developments, and is capable of being a driver of regional development. This spirit is strengthened through collaboration with universities, the business world, communities, media, and various stakeholders via a pentahelix approach. The presence of the Malang Creative Center serves as a space that brings together creativity, innovation, and young talent so that education does not stop in the classroom but continues into a learning ecosystem that supports the birth of superior human resources while strengthening Malang’s competitiveness. This commitment was directly affirmed by the Mayor of Malang, Wahyu Hidayat. According to him, education is the foundation that will determine the quality of civilisation and the region’s future. ‘Education is the main foundation for building the nation’s civilisation. From today’s classrooms, we must believe that a generation of future leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and community figures will be born,’ he said. Through the ‘Dasa Bakti Unggulan Ngalam Pinter’, the Malang City Government will continue to ensure that education services are increasingly high-quality, equitable, and easily accessible to all citizens. ‘Every child has the same right to a proper and quality education. This is the spirit of justice that we must continue to uphold together,’ he stated. This statement confirms that every policy in the education sector is not merely to meet development targets but is a tangible manifestation of public service that sides with the people. Through scholarship programmes, free school uniforms, educational assistance, improved learning quality, strengthened educational facilities and infrastructure, and cross-sector collaboration, the Malang City Government strives to ensure every child gets the same opportunity to grow, learn, and achieve their dreams.