Reading the Direction of Indonesian Education
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has set the theme for National Education Day 2026 as ‘Strengthening universal participation to realise quality education for all.’ This theme serves as an admission that the state cannot act alone; revitalising schools requires support from local governments and the business sector, while digitalising learning requires active parental involvement. Furthermore, teacher welfare necessitates genuine recognition from society.
More than a century ago, Ki Hadjar Dewantara formulated the educational philosophy of ‘leading by example, providing inspiration, and offering encouragement.’ These three roles are increasingly relevant, not just as duties for teachers, but as responsibilities for the entire educational ecosystem, including the government, families, society, and industry. This philosophy is evolving through grassroots literacy movements, where reading is becoming a conscious community effort supported by government programmes like ‘one village, one library’ and industrial partnerships.
However, significant challenges remain. Indonesian education often confuses quantity with quality, prioritising exam scores, class rankings, and academic degrees over character building, high-order thinking, and emotional intelligence. Education should, as Ki Hadjarr Dewantara envisioned, serve to humanise humans.
Structural inequality remains a major hurdle, creating ‘two Indonesias’ within a single system: children in air-conditioned classrooms with digital libraries versus those in remote areas with leaking school roofs. Beyond infrastructure, there is a crisis of integrity in evaluations and a culture of passing students merely to maintain graduation rates. This systemic issue is reflected in the 2025 High School Academic Ability Test (TKA) results, which showed no compulsory subject averaged above 60 out of 100. National averages for Indonesian language stood at 55.38, mathematics at 36.10, and English at a mere 24.93. The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, stated that this is a systemic problem rooted in primary education.
Digital transformation presents both a threat and an opportunity. While technology allows students in Papua to access the same materials as those in Jakarta, digital access must be accompanied by a transformation in mindset. Providing devices without teaching information literacy is akin to providing a compass without teaching how to read it. Intelligence without ethics is dangerous.
Amidst digitalisation, the role of the teacher remains a critical variable. Ironically, while teachers are hailed as ‘unsung heroes,’ the welfare of many, particularly honorary teachers in remote areas, remains inadequate. The narrative of ‘sincere service’ is often used to mask the reality of low or even non-existent wages. A nation that truly values education must first value the people who implement it. Continuous professional development and teaching autonomy are essential to ensure teachers can dedicate their full energy to the educational process.
Finally, the frequent changes in curriculum following government transitions remain a concern. Addressing this, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education anticipates these anxieties through Regulation (Permendikdasmen) Number 13 of 2025, which aims to strengthen the existing curriculum.