Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education: Education in Central Kalimantan is Progressing Rapidly

Palangkaraya (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) states that the education sector in Central Kalimantan Province (Kalteng) continues to experience very positive developments and is progressing rapidly. Deputy Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Fajar Riza Ul Haq, in Palangkaraya on Saturday, explained that based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the extreme poverty rate in Central Kalimantan has dropped drastically, reaching 0.39 percent in 2024 and falling to 0.25 percent in 2025. “This is one indication that there is a correlation between poverty alleviation and progress in education,” he emphasised. BPS also states that the Human Development Index (HDI) in the province shows a stable upward trend. Central Kalimantan’s HDI in 2025 is 74.86, an increase of 0.58 points or 0.78 percent compared to the previous year at 74.28. This HDI rise reflects successful development across all major dimensions, one of which is knowledge. Development in the knowledge dimension indicates that the education sector plays an important role in supporting HDI growth in Central Kalimantan. The increase in Central Kalimantan’s HDI in 2025 is inseparable from the local government’s focus on strengthening the education sector as the main foundation of human development. The Deputy Minister also appreciated various programmes and activities from the Central Kalimantan Provincial Government focused on education, ranging from improving facilities and infrastructure, equitable digitalisation of learning, to providing educational assistance or scholarships. Fajar emphasised that these policies in Central Kalimantan serve as an example for other provinces, so that provincial governments can also provide similar support for children’s education in various regions. “Many scholarships have been provided by the Governor of Central Kalimantan to high school and vocational school students in this province, of course this becomes a reinforcement that quality education can be carried out gradually and sustainably,” he explained.