MPR Urges Collaboration and Concrete Efforts to Prevent School Dropouts

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Deputy Speaker of the MPR RI, Lestari Moerdijat, has emphasised the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders and concrete efforts to address school dropout rates amidst the impact of global economic volatility. “The impact of global economic instability has the potential to weaken family purchasing power and threaten children’s access to education. Efforts to anticipate a potential increase in dropout rates must be undertaken immediately,” she stated in Jakarta on Thursday.

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving the issue of out-of-school children (ATS) through the issuance of Presidential Regulation Number 3 of 2026 (PP ATS), targeting the resolution of problems affecting 645,000 out-of-school children by 2045. According to data from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as of 1 April 2026, the number of out-of-school children in Indonesia reached 3,966,858. This includes 1,913,633 children who have never attended school, 986,755 dropouts, and 1,066,470 graduates who did not proceed to higher education levels.

Data from the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) also notes that approximately 76 per cent of out-of-school children are affected by economic factors. This condition requires an immediate response by expanding educational access for the public using accurate, up-to-date data. Lestari Moerdijat, affectionately known as Rerie, expressed her appreciation for the government’s steps in providing educational services, including single-roof schools, distance learning (PJJ), and community-based inclusive education, aimed at easing access to learning for the nation’s future generations. “Cross-sector collaboration must be realised to ensure that out-of-school children can truly receive an education,” she said. The member of Commission X of the DPR RI urged stakeholders, from education departments to village heads, to facilitate educational access through accountable and targeted measures. “Now is the time for us to move together, ensuring that no child of the nation is left behind from educational services,” Rerie concluded.