JPPI: Jakarta's Free Private School Programme Still Limited
Coordinator of the Indonesian Education Watch Network (JPPI), Ubaid Matraji, assesses the Jakarta Provincial Government’s policy of partnering with private schools for free education as still partial and not reaching all students’ needs.
He states that the free private school programme represents progress compared to other regions and is part of implementing the Constitutional Court’s decision on fee-free education. However, its scope is deemed limited and does not yet cover all children in private schools.
“This is a step forward, but still partial and not reaching all children in private schools,” he said when contacted on Monday, 4 May 2026.
According to Ubaid, the programme’s potential to reduce dropout rates remains, particularly for students not accommodated in the zoning system. However, its effectiveness depends heavily on the number of participating schools and the amount of assistance provided. Currently, the programme covers 103 schools, a figure considered far from the ideal needs in Jakarta.
He also highlights the limited capacity for Jakarta Pintar Card (KJP) recipients. The free school scheme can only accommodate around 10 to 15 percent of total KJP recipients. This situation indicates a significant gap between needs and available capacity on the ground.
The main problem, according to Ubaid, remains economic factors. When students are not accepted into public schools, they are forced to switch to private schools with costs that are often unaffordable. Without full intervention to make private schools free, this cost burden becomes the main barrier to education access for underprivileged families.
Meanwhile, the limited capacity of public schools worsens the situation. Data shows that the capacity of public high schools in Jakarta is only around 35 percent of total needs. This means the majority of students must compete fiercely or switch to fee-paying private schools, which is seen as a failure in fulfilling education rights.
“The scarcity of public school seats is a form of failure in fulfilling citizens’ constitutional rights,” he stated.
If this condition continues, Ubaid warns of the risk of increasing child labour and permanent school dropouts. He assesses that the government needs to immediately expand public school capacity or make private schools free comprehensively to avoid prolonging the cycle of poverty.
“Jakarta is a city with a large budget, yet it is very ironic if public school capacity is so minimal. This is a time bomb,” he said.
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 Number 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. Meanwhile, 63 other schools are new recipients with funding from July to December 2026. The programme covers levels from primary school to special education schools and is spread across five administrative city areas.