Langkat Regent's School Uniform Corruption Case: Education Funds Demanded Back for Students

The alleged corruption case ensnaring inactive Langkat Regent Syah Afandin has drawn sharp criticism from education observers. They are demanding that the education budget, which was allegedly misappropriated, be recovered and returned for the benefit of students. Ubaid Matraji, National Coordinator of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI), assessed that education funds should not be lost to corrupt practices because the budget is a right of the community, particularly students. According to him, the case uncovered by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) serves as a reminder that the education sector remains vulnerable to budgetary irregularities. “Education budgets are still a fertile ground for corruption by regional elites. Why? Because the budget is large, there are many procurement packages, oversight is weak, and the power relations of regional heads over agencies, headteachers, and goods/services providers are very dominant,” he said on Sunday, 5 July 2026. “When education is managed like a political project, schools turn into rent-seeking machines.” Beyond the procurement project, Ubaid also highlighted the alleged practice of buying and selling headteacher positions that emerged in the case constructed by the KPK. He argued that if the appointment of headteachers is not based on competence, the impact is felt not only in bureaucratic governance but also on the quality of education. “The most dangerous aspect is the alleged buying and selling of headteacher positions. If a headteacher is chosen because of a bribe, not because of integrity and capacity, then it is not just the bureaucracy that is damaged, but also the quality of learning, child protection, and the students’ future,” he stated. “A headteacher born from a transaction will tend to seek a return on investment, not improve the school.” Ubaid believes the Langkat case should serve as a warning to the government that a large education budget allocation of 20 percent does not necessarily result in better education services if governance remains problematic. Therefore, JPPI is urging the KPK to investigate the case thoroughly, including tracing other parties suspected of enjoying the flow of funds. Additionally, he is pushing the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to conduct a special audit of education governance in Langkat Regency, particularly concerning the procurement of goods and services, headteacher rotations, and projects within the Education Agency.