Restructuring the Foundation Towards Impactful Education

BASIC and secondary education constitute the principal foundation for a nation’s future. Within classrooms from primary school through secondary school, the values, knowledge, and skills of the younger generation are shaped. In Indonesia, this sector functions not only as a space for academic learning, but also as a major arena for character development, social mobility, and national development. However, the journey of basic and secondary education in Indonesia often moves between two poles: great hopes for equitable education quality and field realities that reveal significant disparities.

Over the past two years, the government through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has sought to respond to these challenges with various strategic programmes. Quality and inclusive education programmes, educational revitalisation, scholarship expansion, and measures to address out-of-school children have become part of a broader agenda to reform the education system. Nevertheless, like other public policies, field implementation continues to generate dynamics that warrant critical and reflective examination.

READING THE CHALLENGES

Quantitatively, basic and secondary education in Indonesia has demonstrated reasonably encouraging achievements. School participation rates at the basic education level are relatively high. Most Indonesian children can now access basic education, even reaching junior secondary level. Compulsory education programmes and various education assistance schemes have expanded opportunities for children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Data from the Central Statistics Agency shows that the gross participation rate for basic education in Indonesia has exceeded 100%, indicating that access to basic education is generally already quite broad (BPS, 2023).

However, these quantitative achievements have not been fully accompanied by quality equity. Inter-regional disparities remain a persistent issue that has not been entirely resolved. Schools in urban areas tend to have better facilities, teachers, and learning ecosystems compared to schools in remote areas or regions with low development levels. This inequality concerns not only physical infrastructure, but also the quality of the learning process.

Learning quality problems are often reflected in various national and international studies showing that Indonesian students’ literacy and numeracy capabilities still need improvement. Results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), for instance, demonstrate that Indonesian students’ literacy and numeracy abilities remain below the average of OECD member countries (OECD, 2022). Many students who administratively advance grades or graduate from school have not fully mastered basic skills needed to face twenty-first century challenges.

Additionally, rapid technological transformation is creating new disparities. Schools with access to digital devices and internet can develop more innovative learning methods, whilst schools without such access risk falling behind. This situation became increasingly apparent when the COVID-19 pandemic several years ago forced the education system to transition to distance learning (UNESCO, 2021).

Upon careful examination, the challenges of basic and secondary education in Indonesia do not stand alone. They reflect various interconnected structural factors.

First is the issue of socio-economic inequality. Many families still face economic constraints, making children’s education a choice that must compete with other living necessities. Although basic education is formally free of charge, field realities show that indirect costs such as transportation, uniforms, and school supplies remain burdensome for certain families.

Second is the issue of teacher distribution and quality. Indonesia has a large number of teachers, but their distribution is not always equitable. Some regions experience teacher surpluses whilst others face shortages. Meanwhile, the challenge of improving teacher competence also remains an important issue. Curriculum transformation and learning methods require teachers to continually adapt to more modern and student-centred pedagogical approaches (World Bank, 2020).

Third is the issue of out-of-school children. Ministry of Education data shows that millions of school-aged children still do not receive formal education or drop out mid-way. The causes are diverse, ranging from economic conditions, early marriage, need to work, to limited geographic access (Kemendikbudristek, 2023). The out-of-school children phenomenon is a serious problem as it has the potential to perpetuate intergenerational cycles of poverty. Children who do not receive adequate education tend to have more limited employment opportunities in the future.

Fourth is the relevance of education to future needs. The world of work is undergoing rapid change due to technological advancement, automation, and digitalisation. The education system must ensure that school graduates not only possess academic knowledge, but also critical thinking skills, creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy.

STRATEGIC AGENDA

Facing these various challenges, Kemendikdasmen seeks to direct education policy towards a paradigm of higher quality and more inclusive education. This concept emphasises that every child, regardless of socio-economic, economic, or geographic background, has the right to quality education. The inclusive approach concerns not only access to school, but also ensuring that the learning process can reach all groups, including children with special needs, children from indigenous communities, and children in remote regions.