Lestari Moerdijat: 2026 TKA Results Must Underpin Education Reform
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (MPR RI) Lestari Moerdijat has stressed that the 2026 Academic Ability Test (TKA) results must serve as the primary foundation for formulating national education system improvement policies. She emphasised that collective commitment from all stakeholders is key to achieving tangible change.
“Detailed data down to school level and individual competencies are now available. The question is whether all of us—central government, education offices, school principals, teachers, and parents—are truly ready to change teaching and mentoring approaches,” Lestari Moerdijat said in a written statement on Thursday (28 May).
According to data from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), over 8.7 million primary and junior high school students across Indonesia took the TKA 2026. National participation reached a high 98.51%, with all provinces exceeding 95%.
The assessment results clearly illustrate the nation’s literacy and numeracy status. Average literacy scores stand at 60 for primary schools and 60.83 for junior high, while numeracy remains a major challenge with scores of 43.41 (primary) and 40.34 (junior high). Previously, on Tuesday (26 May), Basic and Secondary Education Policy Agency (BKPDM) Chief Toni Toharudin confirmed the data would underpin evidence-based policy.
Lestari, commonly known as Rerie, stressed the findings should not be used to compare school or regional quality but to design precise interventions. For instance, in areas where numeracy is low but literacy is strong, teacher training and teaching materials should target specific needs.
“There must be no one-size-fits-all policies for different issues,” stated the Commission X member of the DPR RI.
She further urged central and regional governments to allocate sufficient funding for data-driven remedial programmes, not just test administration. She also reminded educational institutions and teachers to shift from grade-chasing towards building students’ competencies, character, reasoning, and integrity.
On the parental front, she highlighted the crucial role of parents in supporting meaningful home learning without fixating on rankings. “Our education system needs strong collective commitment to evidence-based policies, not short-term ambitions. The TKA has given us a roadmap; now we must all have the courage to move forward,” added the National Democratic Party (NasDem) Senior Council member. (RO/Z-10)