Ministry of Human Rights: KIP Kuliah fund irregularities potentially violate the right to education
If the alleged misuse of student education aid funds is proven, it could undermine the fulfilment of human rights, particularly the right to education.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Munafrizal Manan, Director General of Human Rights Services and Compliance at the Ministry of Human Rights, said that misuse of education aid funds for the Kartu Indonesia Pintar (KIP) Kuliah programme could harm the right to education.
“If the alleged misuse of student education aid funds is proven, it could undermine the fulfilment of human rights, particularly the right to education,” Munafrizal said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.
Munafrizal said such misuse could result in many students from disadvantaged families losing the opportunity to continue their university studies.
He explained that the right to education is a constitutional right guaranteed by the state, as enshrined in Article 28C paragraph (1) and Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, Law Number 39 of 1999 on Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which Indonesia ratified through Law Number 11 of 2005.
On that basis, he said, there must be no distortion, reduction, or manipulation in the education sector that results in the right to education going unfulfilled, especially for students from economically weak backgrounds.
He added that education aid programmes for students are an instrument of the state to carry out its obligation to fulfil the right to education.
Misuse of student education aid funds, he continued, would hinder students’ right to obtain access to education.
According to Munafrizal, from a human rights perspective, the alleged misuse could have adverse effects on students, ranging from students being forced to drop out, loss of opportunities for personal development and improved quality of life, widening social inequality, psychological pressure on students and their families, to declining public trust in educational institutions.
He said the governance of student education funds must be transparent and accountable, and must ensure that students do not lose their right to access education.
“It is truly a paradox if higher education institutions, entrusted with fulfilling the right to education, instead cause students to lose the opportunity to pursue their studies,” he said.
Munafrizal stated that the Ministry of Human Rights respects the law enforcement process. If criminal elements are found, he hopes the legal process will proceed as it should under applicable provisions, so as to provide legal certainty while fulfilling the sense of justice for the victims.
Beyond the legal process, he emphasised the importance of ensuring that students who become victims do not lose their right to education.
Munafrizal urged the relevant ministries and universities to pursue mitigation measures so that affected students can continue their studies through to completion.