Student Coalition Urges DPR to Open Draft of National Education System Bill to the Public
The National Coalition of Indonesian Youth and Students (KNPMI) is urging the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) to open the draft revision of the National Education System Law (RUU Sisdiknas) to the public. This demand was previously voiced during a protest marking National Education Day in front of the DPR building in South Jakarta on 2 May 2026.
The coalition assesses that the drafting process of the RUU Sisdiknas, from its entry into the National Legislation Programme (Prolegnas) in 2022 until 2026, has been conducted in secrecy with minimal public participation.
“The public has not been given adequate access to understand the direction and substance of policies that will shape the future of national education,” said KNPMI spokesperson Tegar Afriansyah when contacted on Tuesday, 5 May 2026.
He also highlighted various education-related laws that he believes have increasingly opened the door to the commercialisation of education over the past two decades. The regulations in question include Law No. 20 of 2003 on the National Education System, Law No. 12 of 2012 on Higher Education, and Law No. 14 of 2005 on Teachers and Lecturers.
KNPMI emphasises that education must not be treated as a commodity, but as a basic right of citizens that the state is obliged to guarantee. They also warn that the current revision of the Sisdiknas Law, being processed without transparency, has the potential to further distance education access from the public.
In addition to demanding the opening of the RUU Sisdiknas draft, the coalition also calls for full involvement of students and the public in its formulation process. They request that the government halt the annual increases in higher education fees.
The coalition further addresses education budget policies, including demanding the withdrawal of education budget allocations from the free nutritious meal programme (MBG) and the fulfilment of the 20 percent education budget allocation in the State Budget (APBN) as mandated by the constitution.
KNPMI states that it will continue to monitor the discussion process of the RUU Sisdiknas and invites civil society, academics, and students to actively participate in overseeing these policies. “Without openness and public participation, this bill has the potential to not serve the interests of the people,” said Tegar.