Free Schools in Jakarta Deemed Not Yet Optimal, DPRD Prepares to Summon Education Department

The free school programme in Jakarta is deemed not yet running optimally. Commission E of the DKI Jakarta DPRD plans to summon the DKI Jakarta Education Department (Disdik) for an evaluation while pushing for the expansion of the policy. Member of Commission E of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Jhony Simanjuntak, stated that the free school programme in private schools is currently operational. However, its scope only covers 103 schools and is considered insufficient to meet the needs of the community. According to Jhony, many parents still struggle to educate their children. One of the main causes is the limited capacity of public schools. When not accepted into public schools, parents must turn to private schools with relatively high costs. In addition to cost issues, Jhony assessed that access to education still feels complicated for some communities. From the registration process to limited information received by residents. As a result, not a few parents choose not to continue their children’s education because they feel it is difficult. Therefore, the DKI Jakarta DPRD plans to summon Disdik to find solutions. One option to be discussed is adding the number of private schools included in the free programme. Jhony also urged the government to be more proactive in providing information to the community, not just waiting for residents to come. He added that the free school policy needs to be a priority in regional budgeting so that its benefits can be felt widely, especially by low-income families. In the future, he hopes the free school programme can be expanded so that more children in Jakarta can attend school without being hindered by costs.