Between Ideals and Facts: A Portrait of Educational Inequality in Indonesia

CampusNet – Article 31, paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution emphasizes that every citizen has the right to education. This provision ensures that all segments of society, including children in this hard situations, can equally access education. However, is this provision truly reflected in today’s reality? Or is the educational gap in Indonesia widening instead? The fact that educational inequality in Indonesia is a big problem cannot be denied.

Recurring Issues That Never End

Education issues in Indonesia seem to persist without resolution. Limited access to education, inadequate infrastructure, economic situation, a shortage of educators, uncompetitive teacher salaries, and frequent misallocation of the education budget continue to hinder progress. These problems are interconnected like a domino effect. Limited access to education hampers infrastructure development, while poor infrastructure prevents educators from working optimally.

Field data reveal significant educational disparities in Indonesia. For example, students in remote areas of South Kalimantan experiencing wearing shoes for the first time, schools in Nias operating without teachers, or students in Papua studying under a tarp. In some cases, teachers can only visit schools twice a week. These conditions illustrate the deep inequality in the national education system.

Neglected Education Quality in Remote Areas

Additionally, the quality of education in remote areas often goes unnoticed. Many schools in these regions lack basic facilities such as books, desks, chairs, and even electricity. This situation undoubtedly hinders the teaching and learning process and makes it difficult for students to compete with their peers in more developed areas. Moreover, frequent curriculum changes without adequate training for teachers present another challenge. Consequently, the learning process becomes ineffective.

Teacher’s Welfare Remains Concerning

Another crucial issue is the low welfare of educators. Salaries that do not match their workload are among the reasons why fewer people are interested in becoming teachers. Many teachers, especially in remote areas, still receive salaries below the standard. This, of course, affects their motivation and performance. Additionally, heavy administrative burdens often divert teachers’ focus from their primary task—teaching. The lack of training and professional development worsens the situation, even though these aspects should be key to improving education quality.

Education Budget Mismanagement

On the other hand, the education budget, which should be the backbone of system improvements, is often misused. In some regions, the salaries of honorary teachers remain below the Regional Minimum Wage (UMR), ranging from IDR 300,000 to IDR 1,000,000 per month. Moreover, cases exist where education funds are allocated for irrelevant purposes or even embezzled. Transparency and accountability in managing the education budget must be prioritized.

The Education Gap Between Urban and Rural Areas

The educational gap between urban and rural areas is becoming increasingly evident. Schools in major cities generally have complete facilities and qualified educators. In contrast, schools in rural or remote areas often lack both facilities and teachers. This situation makes it difficult for students in these regions to compete with their urban counterparts, both academically and non-academically.

According to Goodstats, the 2023 Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data, 5.11% of rural residents have never attended school, compared to only 1.93% in urban areas. The gap is also evident in primary school graduation rates, with 12.39% of rural residents failing to complete elementary school, while the figure in urban areas is only 6.62%. At the secondary education level, only 27.98% of rural residents complete high school or its equivalent, compared to 49.16% in cities.

Necessary Steps to Address the Issue

To address these problems, concrete steps must be taken by the government and all related parties. First, the government needs to increase education budget allocations and ensure their effective and efficient use. Second, special programs should be implemented to improve teachers’ welfare, especially in remote areas. Third, the government must improve educational infrastructure in remote regions and ensure all schools have adequate facilities. Fourth, teacher training and professional development should be enhanced to keep up with curriculum advancements and the latest teaching methods.

Additionally, the role of society is crucial. Communities can provide moral and material support to schools in need. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social institutions can also actively assist the government in addressing various education challenges.

Although Article 31, paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution guarantees every citizen’s right to education, reality shows that many challenges remain unresolved about educational inequality in Indonesia. Only through strong collaboration and commitment from all stakeholders can an equitable and high-quality education system be realized for all Indonesians.

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