Surabaya City Council Demands Clarity on PAUD-TK Scholarships to Ensure Targeting

The Surabaya City Government plans to provide scholarships for around 8,000 PAUD (Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini) and TK (Taman Kanak-kanak) students. The scholarship, amounting to Rp 50 thousand per month, would be intended for PAUD-TK students from low-income households.

In response, Bahtiyar Rifai, Deputy Chairman of the Surabaya City Council (DPRD), asked that the program first be clarified from the budgeting, mechanism, and supervisory aspects to ensure it reaches the target recipients.

Bahtiyar admitted he had just heard about the plan for PAUD-TK scholarships. However, in principle, he supports it if the program is truly aimed at helping alleviate education costs for low-income families.

‘If this is to help parents in need so that their children can continue to study at PAUD or TK, I certainly agree. Early childhood education is important,’ Bahtiyar said in a written statement on Friday (6 March 2026).

Nevertheless, Bahtiyar stressed the importance of confirming whether the program has been discussed and allocated in the 2026 Budget Year (APBD 2026). He said budget certainty is the main basis before the program is implemented.

Beyond the budget aspect, Bahtiyar also pointed to the need for clarity on the distribution mechanism. He asked whether the assistance would be provided as cash, school supplies, or a transfer directly to the recipient’s account.

‘The technical details must be clarified. Whether through the school, directly to the parents’ bank accounts, or in the form of goods,’ he asserted. ‘This needs finalising to avoid future problems,’ he added.

Regarding recipient verification, Bahtiyar suggested that the Education Department (Dispendik) coordinate with the Social Service Agency (Dinsos), which already has a database of poor and near-poor residents.

In this case, the validation process can be carried out by matching the National Identification Number (NIK) in the system, as is the mechanism previously applied to social assistance programs.

‘Entry of NIK will reveal whether they fall into the poor or near-poor category. The system already exists; it just needs to be used so it is not complicated and remains targeted,’ explained the Secretary of the Gerindra Surabaya Branch, Bahtiyar.

Bahtiyar also emphasised the importance of periodic evaluations if the program is actually implemented. He stated that supervision is required so that the assistance is used for educational needs rather than diverted for other purposes.

‘If the form is cash, there must be an evaluation. We must not let it be used for non-educational purposes. That is what must be safeguarded,’ he said.

Furthermore, Bahtiyar said the DPRD would monitor the program’s implementation once it is underway.

‘Evaluation is important to ensure policy effectiveness and to prevent potential misuse,’ Bahtiyar said.

Previously, the Surabaya City Government via Dispendik Surabaya announced plans to provide scholarships to around 8,000 PAUD-TK students from poor and near-poor families as part of efforts to broaden access to early childhood education.

Currently, Dispendik Surabaya is conducting data consolidation and verification with related agencies. The target is to complete all administrative and verification processes by the end of February 2026.