MPR: Utilising the Latest Data is Crucial to Address School Dropouts

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) of the Republic of Indonesia, Lestari Moerdijat, stated that utilising the latest data on school dropouts is crucial in addressing the challenges faced. The latest data she referred to is the Out-of-School Children (ATS) dashboard developed by the Centre for Data, Technology, and Information of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Pusdatin Kemendikdasmen). “The availability of the latest data is the initial step to address children who face obstacles in accessing educational services,” Lestari said in her statement in Jakarta on Thursday. The innovation (dashboard) from Pusdatin Kemendikdasmen is capable of mapping accurate and real-time data on the number of children who face obstacles in accessing educational services, covering categories such as out-of-school children (ATS), never attended school (BPB), dropouts (DO), and graduates who do not continue (LTM). Based on data as of 1 April 2026, the number of out-of-school children in Indonesia reaches 3,966,858 children. The breakdown includes 1,913,633 children who have never attended school, 986,755 school dropouts, and 1,066,470 graduates who do not proceed to higher levels. “This data must be immediately followed by concrete actions to address the existing problems,” she stated. Meanwhile, based on data from the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI), around 76 per cent of out-of-school children are caused by economic factors. Therefore, Lestari encourages that the utilisation of the ATS dashboard be accompanied by targeted interventions, such as educational assistance and affirmative programmes in underdeveloped areas. “Data without action is just numbers,” she said. She emphasised that cross-sectoral collaboration is the key to addressing the problem of school dropouts. “The key is cross-sectoral collaboration so that out-of-school children truly return to school benches,” she stated. The member of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) hopes that data related to children facing obstacles in accessing educational services can be accessed and utilised by all parties, from district/city education offices to village heads. According to her, data transparency will result in more accurate and targeted policies. “With data transparency, the policies that emerge will be more accountable and effective,” she asserted. She added that with valid data, Indonesia no longer works in the dark. “Now is the time for us to move together, ensuring that not a single child of the nation is left behind from educational services,” she emphasised.