Lestari Moerdijat Urges Acceleration of Teacher Competency for Inclusive Education
Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Lestari Moerdijat, has affirmed that accelerating the strengthening of teacher competencies is the key to realising an inclusive education system in Indonesia. According to her, this effort must be supported by accurate data and a comprehensive strategy to bridge the gap between demand and the availability of competent teaching staff in the field.
“At present, the gap between the need for and availability of competent teachers in the field remains very high, so a comprehensive strategy is needed to accelerate teacher competencies in running an inclusive education system,” said Lestari in a written statement on Friday (10/7).
According to data from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) as of September 2025, there are 363,921 students with disabilities across Indonesia. Of this population, 199,375 students are enrolled at 60,910 Inclusive Education Provider Units (SPPI).
However, Lestari, who is familiarly known as Rerie, lamented the fact that only around 15% of all SPPIs have Special Guidance Teachers (GPK). She considers this condition a serious obstacle to providing equitable education services for children with special needs (ABK).
As a member of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Rerie supports the government programme targeting advanced-level training for 1,500 teachers across 25 provinces throughout 2026. Nevertheless, she reminded that this figure remains far from the very large national need.
Data from the Directorate General of Teachers and Education Personnel (GTK) shows there are 2,663 teachers who already meet the requirements as candidates for the training. In addition, there is potential for up to 5,129 new candidates through an equivalency scheme.
“The government must be consistent and aggressive. The training programme launched by Kemendikdasmen is a good first step, but we must not stop there. We need to look at the ideal ratio,” asserted the NasDem Party politician.
Furthermore, Rerie stressed that improving teacher competencies must not focus solely on technical aspects. The success of inclusive education depends heavily on teachers’ empathy and their ability to understand the unique needs of each child, as well as to adapt teaching methods accordingly.
She hopes teachers can become agents of change with critical thinking skills and strong humanitarian values. Support from all parties is essential so that educators are able to translate the national education philosophy into real practice, especially amid the challenges of the current digital era.