Kemendikdasmen prioritises new school construction in 3T regions
Manokwari - The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) is prioritising proposals for new school construction in frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) regions to expand access to education services for communities.
Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti, speaking in Manokwari, West Papua on Thursday, said his ministry is committed to gradually addressing quality, standards, and accessibility gaps in education by focusing on priority areas.
“If there are proposals for new school construction, we will prioritise them, especially from areas classified as 3T,” Abdul said.
Additionally, he said Kemendikdasmen is urging all regional governments in eastern Indonesia to promptly propose the construction of multi-grade schools in remote areas to meet early childhood education needs.
Kemendikdasmen is not only allocating funds for physical infrastructure of new schools in 3T regions but also supporting distance learning systems with internet connectivity support.
“If an area lacks electricity, we provide solar power infrastructure. We will collaborate with Eco Bhinneka Muhammadiyah,” he said.
According to him, achieving equitable distribution of educational infrastructure in 3T regions depends on synergy and collaboration between the central government, regional authorities, social organisations, and religious institutions such as Muhammadiyah.
This aligns with the 2026 revitalisation and new education unit construction programme, which has increased targets under President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to build 71,744 units of PAUD (early childhood education), TKK (kindergarten), SD (primary schools), SMP (lower secondary schools), and SMA (upper secondary schools).
“Other organisations focused on education are welcome to submit new school construction proposals,” he added.
Regional governments face budget constraints due to efficiency policies, resulting in suboptimal implementation of education quality and improvement programmes in 3T regions as initially expected.