Limited Public Schools, Expensive Private Ones: DKI DPRD Member: Don't Limit Free Schools to Just 103

Jakarta - A member of Commission E of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Jhony Simanjuntak, has urged the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemprov) to expand the free schooling programme in private schools. Currently, the programme is implemented in 103 schools, but it is deemed insufficient to meet the needs of the entire community. “One way out is free private schooling; it must become a priority for the DKI Jakarta Pemprov. It’s no longer enough; don’t limit it to just 103 schools,” Jhony told reporters on Wednesday (29/4/2026). “This has become a social, economic, cultural issue, and most dominantly a structural problem. The public still struggles to access government policies, including in education,” he said. According to him, many parents still face difficulties at the start of the new academic year. Besides the process being considered complicated, the limited capacity of public schools means not all students can be accommodated. On the other hand, private schools as an alternative present new challenges, particularly regarding education costs. “When they can’t get into public schools, they are faced with the high costs of private schooling. This makes parents even more stressed,” he said. Although the DKI Pemprov has made 103 private schools free, Jhony assesses that the number is still far from sufficient. “Don’t just stop at hundreds of schools. If there are many private schools with students from low-income families, they should just be made free. That’s the quick way,” he stressed. In addition, he also requested that the DKI Jakarta Education Department be more proactive in socialising the programme to the public. According to him, many parents still lack adequate information about education access. “Some of the public don’t yet see education as a way out, especially if the process is complicated. In the end, they choose not to continue,” he said. Commission E of the DKI Jakarta DPRD plans to summon the Education Department to discuss various obstacles, including evaluating and expanding the free schooling programme. According to Jhony, the free education policy needs to become a priority in the regional budget so that its benefits can be felt more widely by the public.