Jakarta Education Office Reveals Criteria for Free Private Schools

Head of the Jakarta Education Office, Nahdiana, stated that the designation of private schools in the free education programme is conducted selectively to ensure it hits the right targets. Priority is given to sub-districts that do not yet have public schools, as well as schools with complete administrative requirements and a good track record.

“Designation is carried out selectively based on strict criteria,” said Nahdiana, when contacted on Monday, 4 May 2026.

Nahdiana explained that selected schools must possess operational permits, an active National School Identification Number (NPSN), accreditation from the National Education Accreditation Body, and an adequate history of receiving School Operational Assistance (BOS) funds. Additionally, schools are required not to collect fees from students and to comply with the provisions of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government.

In terms of supervision, the Education Office will conduct periodic monitoring and ensure that student admissions are processed through the official New Student Admission System (SPMB) route. The government has also prepared sanctions for schools that violate the rules, including if illegal fee collections are found, and mandates transparency in accounts and financial audits.

The success of the programme is measured through short-term and long-term indicators. In the first one to two years, indicators include the number of vulnerable students accommodated, retention rates or reductions in dropout numbers, compliance with prohibitions on fee collections, and satisfaction levels of parents and students.

In the long term, the government targets reductions in dropout and out-of-school children rates, increases in average school duration and gross participation rates, and improvements in graduate quality. Programme evaluation is conducted periodically using EMIS data and independent surveys.

The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is implementing a free school programme in private schools. This policy is outlined in the Governor of DKI Jakarta’s Decree No. 312 of 2025, which designates 103 private schools as recipients with a total budget of Rp 253.6 billion.

Forty schools are continuing recipients with funding from January to December 2026. The other 63 schools are new recipients with funding from July to December 2026. The programme covers levels from primary school to special education schools and is distributed across five administrative city areas.