Inclusive Schools Are Abundant, Yet Children with ADHD Remain Neglected: What Is Wrong?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — A number of parents whose children suffer from neurodevelopmental disorders or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are hoping for improvements in Indonesia’s education system.

The parents assess that Indonesia’s education system is not yet fully prepared to accommodate children with ADHD. Many teachers still do not understand the best ways to handle students with this condition.

As a result, children with ADHD continue to struggle to receive appropriate education, even if the school is labelled as an inclusive school.

“The education system must be improved alongside the health system because the two are correlated. Education must be able to support those with special needs,” said one parent of a child with ADHD, Justito Adiprasetio (37), when contacted by Kompas.com on Monday (30/3/2026).

Tito admitted that he cannot entirely blame teachers if they are not yet able to teach children with ADHD.

Low wages amid high workloads are seen as making it difficult for teachers to enhance their capacities.

“Many of them are graduates of education degrees, but they are paid very low (underpaid). This situation leaves them without the leeway to handle special cases (such as ADHD) optimally,” Tito continued.

Tito hopes for holistic improvements in addressing this issue.

The government is urged to allocate the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) optimally for the education and health sectors.

According to him, children with ADHD or other special needs are not just the responsibility of parents, but a collective responsibility as a nation.

“Unfortunately, this mindset is often not yet held by policymakers,” he stated.

In addition, Tito also hopes that open spaces in Jakarta and other regions in Indonesia will be increasingly expanded.