Indonesia: Rinciples and General Objectives of Education

World Data on Education.
6th edition, 2006/07
Indonesia
Updated version, August 2006.
Principles and general objectives of education

According to Law No. 2/1989, the objectives of the national education system are:
firstly, to establish a high-quality and self-reliant human being whose values are based
on Pancasila (i.e. State ideology, spelled out in the five basic principles of the
Republic of Indonesia: belief in one God; just and civilized humanity, including
tolerance to all people; unity of Indonesia; democracy led by wisdom of deliberation
among representatives of the people; and social justice for all); secondly, to support
the Indonesian society, people and State. In the broad context of social and national
development, the aim of education is, on the one hand, to keep and maintain
Indonesia’s cultural background and, on the other, to generate the knowledge, skills
and scientific progress that will keep the nation abreast in the twenty-first century.
National education should improve the life of the nation and develop the Indonesian
people fully––i.e. intellectually, morally, spiritually, physically and socially.
The education system provides learning opportunities to every citizen,

irrespective of gender, religion, ethnic, social or economic background. Education is
developed on the basis of four main strategies: the improvement of opportunity,
quality, efficiency, and relevance to development needs. It is carried out in a universal,
sound and consolidated manner. The education system provides basic education for
every citizen to enable him/her to write, read and count, as well as use Bahasa
Indonesia, which is required for participation in the society, civil and State life. The
learning and teaching climate has to generate self-confidence, innovative thinking,
and orientation towards the future. Education can be obtained either through in-school
or out-of-school channels and is the mutual responsibility of the family, the
community and the government.
Current educational priorities and concerns

Despite enormous progress, particularly in the areas of primary school enrolment and
illiteracy eradication, much remains to be done. Major challenges are identified as the
expansion of compulsory basic education from six to nine years, the improvement of
the quality of primary and secondary education, and enhancing learning achievements
for all levels. Indonesia’s commitment to the further development of education is
based on the recognition that development goes hand in hand with advancement in
science and technology. The government is also making efforts in expanding
educational opportunities at the basic, vocational, and professional levels through
school and out-of-school channels.
The development of the labour force structure in the country is characterized

by the continuous decrease of employment opportunities in the area of agriculture and
an increasing demand for knowledge and skills in industry, especially in the high
technology and service sectors. The use of modern technology in the production
process requires workers with higher educational levels who will gradually replace
Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

World Data on Education. 6th edition, 2006/07
the low-skilled ones. Work will increasingly depend upon intellectual capacities,
creativity, ability to process and utilize information, adaptability and self-training.
The structural shift of the economy generates new trends and challenges which in turn
affect the education system. The Ministry of Education and Culture (now the Ministry
of National Education), therefore, needs to adapt education to the industrial needs of
the community, as well as improve science and technology to reach competitive
excellence. In addition, the massive and extensive globalization process affects
economic, political and social conditions. Globalization is expected to generate
intensified competition among nations, particularly in the fields of economics, science
and technology.
The development of education has progressed rapidly since Indonesia’s

independence. In 1930, less than 6% of the population was literate. By 1971, the
overall literacy rate among the population aged 10 and above was 43%, increasing to
84% by 1990, and 87% in 2000. This shows the successful development of universal
education and of primary education, in particular. More and more school age children
and youth are going to school or attending out-of-school programmes. The number of
students at every level of the school system has grown extremely fast within the last
twenty-five years: the number of pupils and students more than doubled at the
primary level; rose four and a half times at the junior secondary level, eight times at
the senior secondary level, and about ten times at the higher education level.
Education expansion programmes, which started in the 1970s, have increased the
proportion of workers with higher education. However, the proportion of university
graduates is still very low. According to the 1987 Survey of National Labour Force,
the percentage of the labour force with low education (primary school and below) is
79.5%, which is too high for a society approaching the era of modernization in
various aspects of life. The 1985 Education Sector Assessment Study points out that
in half of the formal sector employment, two-thirds of the workers had attained only a
primary school education. However, as the results of the latest Population Census
show, the proportion of the labour force with higher education is showing the
tendency to increase.
The country has successfully achieved the implementation of the universal

education programme for pupils in the age group 7-12 years. The success is supported
by the expansion and equity programme of educational opportunities at primary
public schools, which was carried out on a large scale in 1973, through the
Presidential Instruction Decree No. 10 of 1973. This programme has enabled the
government to launch the compulsory primary education programme for pupils aged
7-12 years in 1984.
The effort of implementing the school-based management for all levels of

education has been in force since 1999, and five years after, progress was evidenced
in the high commitment of the community to education. The main ideas in
implementing school-based management focus on the quality of education, bottom-up
planning and decision-making, transparent management, empowerment of community,
and quality improvement continuously.
Indonesia has recently entered the Second Twenty-five-year Long-term

Development Plan––PJP II (1994-1995 to 2018-2019) the emphasis of which is on the
development of human resources to sustain the economic evolution of the nation. To

respond to the challenges of modernity, the priorities of education for PJP II are the
following:
• the completion of the nine-year universal basic education

programme, which involves adding three years of schooling for those
students aged 12-15 years, i.e. at least six years of primary education and
three years of lower secondary or equivalent education. The curriculum
of the junior secondary school is also to be expanded with skills training,
especially for students who are not able to continue their studies at the
senior secondary level. Insofar as the resources available for
implementation of universal basic education are limited, the role of the
community and parents in providing basic education is important. Today,
the basic education programme yields large numbers of primary school
graduates, most of whom are 12 years of age. According to the Labour
Law, they cannot yet be categorized as members of the productive work
force. The implementation of the nine-year basic education programme
will cover efforts in developing a learning environment at school and in
classrooms; efforts in providing, appointing, training and developing
teachers; and efforts in providing quality equipment and textbooks. It
will entail about 34,000 additional teachers, namely: 8,000 primary
school teachers; 20,000 junior secondary school teachers; 1,000 special
education teachers; 2,000 teachers to support the private schools; and
3,000 secondary school teachers. It is still a large problem to produce
teachers with adequate qualifications to teach at the primary and
secondary levels;
• improved quality and equity in educational opportunities for all types

and levels of education. Efforts in educational quality involve adequate
educational resources to support the education process, i.e. an adequate
number and quality of teachers and other educational staff; adequate
provision of textbooks and library books; adequate provision of
operational and laboratory equipment; curriculum development and
orientation towards science and technology, and provision of adequate
infrastructure and facilities. Specifically, the improvement of teacher
quality should be focused on primary school and Islamic primary school
teachers to obtain a Diploma II (a two-year course). At least 80% of the
lecturers should possess master’s or doctoral degrees. There should be a
balanced proportion of students from the social sciences, education and
humanities programmes compared to basic sciences, science and
technology programmes;
• the relevance of education to development. The policy formulates that

education should be related to industry and the business world starting
from planning, implementation, assessment, and certification of
education and vocational training relevant to economic needs. The
objective of the policy is to create a situation where graduates are
responsive to the number, quality and dissemination needs for skilled
work force and expertise. It requires the expansion and improvement of
technical and vocational education for the production of skilled and
flexible human resources who master technology. The Link and Match

Programme, which involves industry and commerce in vocational

education, will continue to be developed and implemented through the
dual system. To support the policy, 2,000 commercial and small
industrial institutes have been contacted for co-operation and asked to
provide training for students. The co-operation includes curriculum
development and an examination system that measures the skills and
expertise of the participant after completing a certain level. The dual
system will also be applied to out-of-school education. It is hoped that
the community will play a more active and direct role in the
improvement of relevance and in the expansion of education towards the
capacity to earn income. Co-operation between educational institutions
and commerce in out-of-school education is expected. Several activities
will be conducted to support the co-operation including: the appointment
and training of community educational staff from various types and
levels according to needs, provision of books and other educational
infrastructure and facilities;
• improved capacity to master science and technology through improved

quality of higher education providing training and research, supported
by improvement in mathematics and science instruction within the
overall education system. Education should provide educated, skilled
and trained work force in accordance with the needs of the industrial
society. Educational programmes, as preparation for employment, are
provided through the junior secondary school with qualified educational
content, vocational secondary education, professional higher education,
courses for certain skills, and on-the-job training. The science and
technology programmes can be categorized into three integrated levels:
(a) science and technology for basic education directed towards general
basic comprehension and aiming to implant and develop basic learning
tools; this covers mastery in reading, arithmetic, problem solving, and
moral education for the industrial society (discipline, time appreciation,
working ethics, self-learning); (b) science and technology for secondary
education aiming to master the basics of science and technology; and (c)
science and technology for higher education with an emphasis on pure
science, research and development of applied sciences;
• the encouragement of research in higher education, the results of

which are published through community media for the benefit of the
community. Educational quality efforts are also carried out by creating a
climate that is conducive to free academic life and discussion to ensure a
dynamic scientific campus life. The university should become an
independent institution, free from government subsidy and interference
in management. Institutional improvement should also involve the
accreditation system for public and private universities;
• the development of a monitoring and evaluation system of educational

quality that is valid, reliable and continuously comprehensive. Two
types of monitoring systems need to be developed and disseminated for
utilization: (a) an indicator system on educational quality that is based
on ad hoc measurement towards educational quality indicators, with

emphasis on input, process, output and educational impact; measurement

of the indicators should be based on agreed concepts; and (b) a national
examination system that can measure educational quality, especially
students’ learning results. Both systems should regularly give input on
status, variations and determining factors of high and low quality of
education;
• the efficiency in educational management, which is influenced by

such factors as professionalism in the management of the education
system, including discipline, loyalty, expertise, working ethics and cost
effectiveness.
The main Education for All objectives of Indonesia’s basic education system
are the following: (1) gross enrolment in lower secondary education to increase to
95% (especially among girls); (2) repetition rate in primary education reduced to 1%;
(3) transition rate from primary to secondary education increased to 99%; (4)
graduation rate in primary education increased to 99% and in lower secondary to 97%;
(5) decrease of student-teacher ratio in primary education to 18 and maintaining the
current 14.31 for lower secondary education; (6) ratio of laboratory per school
increased to 100%; (7) 80% of school teachers attaining required qualifications; and
(8) decreasing the percentage of worn-out school buildings to 1%. For literacy, the
goal is to reduce the current number of illiterates (5,579,000 people) by 50% among
the population age 15 and above by 2015.
Laws and other basic regulations concerning education

The Constitution of 1945 stipulates in Article 31 that every citizen has the right to
education and that the government provides a national education system that is
arranged by law.
The Law No. 2/1989 provides the foundation for one national education
system to be universally implemented in a complete and totally integrated manner:
universal means open to all people and valid throughout the country; complete means
to cover all channels, levels and types of education; and integrated means that there
are mutual supporting links between all types and levels of national education, and
development efforts. According to the National Education System Law No. 20 of
2003, the levels of education in the school system consist of basic education, middle
or secondary education, and higher education. Basic education consists of six years of
elementary education and three years of junior secondary education. Middle or
secondary education consists of three years of schooling at general senior secondary
schools or vocational senior secondary schools.
The National Guidelines of the State Policy of 1993 emphasize that national
development is based on the trilogy of development, i.e. equity, economic growth and
national stability.
The Presidential Decree of 1994 on the Declaration of universal nine-year

basic education marked the implementation of the new nine-year compulsory basic
education programme.

The Decision of the People's Consultative Assembly No. IV of 1999 on the

Broad Outlines of State Policy (known as GBHN 1999) reiterates the need to conduct
a reform of the education system, including curriculum reform which consists of: (i)
diversification of curricula to cater to the different children's needs; (ii) development
of the national curriculum as well as local curricula to suit local interests; and (iii)
diversification of the types of education according to varied professions.
The Law No. 22 of 1999 on Local Governance (effective since January 2001)
is the legal basis for the decentralization of authority from the central government to
the district/municipal governments. According to the Government Regulation No.
25 of 2000, the central government is responsible for setting national policies,
standards, supervision, and guidelines.
The Government Regulation No. 60 of 1999 on Higher Education provides a

wider basis for the autonomous management of resources and for the running of
higher learning institutions. The Government Regulation No. 61 of 1999 on Higher
Education Institution as a State-owned Corporate Body (BHMN) gives the
opportunity to any public higher education institution to propose a change in its legal
status in order to become a non-profit making BHMN or a corporate higher learning
institution, with broader management autonomy including fund raising.
According to the Law No. 2/1989, the Government Regulation No. 28/1990
and the National Education System Law of 2003, basic education is a general
education programme with duration of nine years. The nine-year compulsory basic
education programme will attempt to provide education for every Indonesian between
the ages of 7-15 years. Compulsory education in Indonesia relies on the following
specific characteristics: (a) the persuasive approach; (b) the moral responsibility of
parents and students, so that they feel obliged to attend school; (c) regulations that are
not based on compulsory education law; and (d) the use of measurement of success
based on a macro view, i.e. increasing the rate of participation in basic education.
Administration and management of the education system

The Ministry of Education and Culture (now the Ministry of National Education,
MONE) is responsible to the government for the planning and execution of education.
At the central level, the organizational structure of the MONE consists of the
following units: the Secretariat General; the National Institute for Educational
Research and Development; the Inspectorate General; the Directorate General of
Basic and Secondary Education; the Directorate General of Higher Education; the
Directorate General of Out-of-School Education, Youth and Sports; and the
Directorate General of Culture.
At the lower level, the MONE is represented by a Provincial Office of

Education in each of the twenty-seven provinces, and by a District Office in each of
the 305 districts. The major task of the provincial and district offices is to
operationalize, manage, adapt and implement ministerial policies on education and
culture with respect to each of their distinctive features and local and environmental
needs.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs is responsible for the Islamic primary

school (Madrasah Ibtidaiyah or MI), which is equivalent to primary school, and for
the Islamic junior secondary school (Madrasah Tsanawiyah or MT), which is
equivalent to junior secondary school. Provision of higher education is managed by
the MONE through the Directorate General of Higher Education, as well as by the
Military Academy and the College for Civil Servants.
The Centre for Curriculum and Educational Facilities Development—or

Curriculum Development Centre (CDC)—established in 1969, comes under the
authority of the Office of Educational and Cultural Research and Development in the
Ministry of National Education. It is composed of four divisions: (a) Pre-school,
primary and special education; (b) Secondary schools; (c) Higher Education; (d)
Educational facilities. The Centre’s main functions are: (a) to formulate technical
policies on curriculum development and educational facilities; (b) to conduct, co-
ordinate and guide the development of curriculum and educational facilities covering
institutional objectives, programme structure and basic course outline, teaching
learning models and methods, learning materials, etc.; and (c) to formulate
suggestions on government policy.
Structure and organization of the education system

The national education system consists of seven types of education: (a) general
education focuses on the expansion of general knowledge and improvement of
students skills; specialization is needed in the last grade; (b) vocational education
prepares students for mastering a number of specific vocational skills needed for
employment; (c) special education provides important skills and abilities for students
with physical and/or mental disabilities; (d) service-related education aims at
increasing abilities required for job preparation as an official or a candidate for a
government department or a non-departmental government agency; (e) religious
education prepares students to play a role which demands the mastery of religious
knowledge and related subjects; (f) academic education focuses primarily on
improving the mastery of sciences; and (g) professional education prepares students
primarily for specialized or job-related knowledge and skills. The out-of-school
system consists of five different types of education, since it does not have academic
and professional education.
The structure of the education system according to the National Education

System Law No. 20 of 2003 is shown below:

Indonesia: structure of the education system
Source: Ministry of Education.
Pre-school education
Pre-school education is provided for children from 4 to 6 years of age and lasts one or
two years. Pre-school education is not compulsory.
Primary education
The six-year primary education programme is compulsory for pupils from 7 to 12

years of age. There is also an Islamic primary education programme.
Secondary education
The junior secondary school level consists of a compulsory three-year education

programme for students from 12 to 15 years of age. Primary and junior secondary
education form the nine-year basic education programme. Secondary education lasts
three years and includes general secondary school, Islamic senior secondary school,
vocational secondary school, religious secondary school, and service secondary
school.
Higher education is an extension of secondary education, which consists of

academic and professional education. Two types of courses are offered: non-degree
(diploma programs, lasting one to four years) and degree (S1, lasting four years and
equivalent to bachelor’s degree; S2, a two-year program equivalent to a master’s
degree; and doctoral programmes or S3, generally lasting three years). Academic
education is mainly aimed at mastering science, technology and research, whereas
professional education emphasizes developing practical skills. Professional education
includes Specialist 1 programs at the master’s level (two-year course) and Specialist 2,

a three-year program at the doctoral level. Academies, polytechnics, institutes and

universities are the various institutions involved in higher education.
At the primary and secondary levels, the school year consists of thirty-eight
working weeks on average.
The financing of education

T
Officially, the government is responsible for financing education. However, the

education that is borne and carried out by the community is recognized as the
responsibility of the institutions/individuals which/who administer the educational
activities, although, in some cases, the government provides funds in line with the
recognized regulations. Educational programmes activities founded by the
government are mainly financed from the routine budget and the development budget.
Other funding sources are international aid (loans and grants) and assistance from
regional governments and the private sector.
For kindergarten, 97% of schools in urban areas and 71% in rural areas charge
fees. Above the regular fees, 73% of urban kindergartens and 64% of rural
kindergartens charge additional fees for books and other learning materials. Private
early childhood services recover all their costs (e.g. buildings, equipment, materials,
teacher’s salaries and other operational costs) from the fees that they collect from the
parents. Private childcare centres and playgroups can apply for government subsidies
or supports available from international development agencies.
The financial responsibility to achieve 9-year free compulsory basic education

is divided among the central government, Provinces, Districts and Municipalities.
Around 60% of the required budget is to come from the central government, and the
rest from local governments and the society.
The 1945 Constitution stipulates that the government should spend 20% of its
government expenditure on education; in 2001-2002, this stood at 9.6% (representing
1.1% of the total GDP). Of the total public expenditure on education, and the
percentages towards pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary education were
0.1%, 39.9%, 41.1% and 18.9% respectively, with the total percentage towards
teachers’ salaries being 78.3%.
The responsibility of the family in education is expressed in the form of a

school fee paid to the State by each school to be reallocated back to the schools and
educational institutions through the Education Funds Support. These funds provide
the routine assistance for financing education at the middle and higher levels. Primary
schooling is free and theoretically requires no fees.
Every educational unit is expected to manage their own admission process and
finances. The participation of the local government, community and business in
educational finance should be encouraged, in order not to burden the already limited
funds of the central government. Government subsidies are playing an important role
in balancing educational costs among universities and regions.

Viewed from the perspective of the Five-year Development Planning Periods

(Repelita), the MONE budget expanded continuously. In the First Repelita (1969-
1973) it was 147 billion rupiah and by the Fifth Repelita (1989-1993) the total had
increased to 12.9 trillion rupiah. In the first year of the Sixth Repelita (1994-1999) a
total of 4.6 trillion rupiah was allocated. During the Fifth Repelita, 83.5% the routine
budget of the MONE was utilized for salaries and expenditure related to employees.
This concentration of the routine budget on employee-related expenditure resulted in
limited availability of funds for goods procurement, administrative activities and
educational facility development. Furthermore, only 2.1% of the total routine budget
was allocated for maintenance.
During the Fifth Repelita, international loan assistance amounted to 51% of

the total development budget. Assistance loans from the World Bank (International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development) amounted to about US$457 million, and
loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) totalled more than US$507 million.
The World Bank is responsible for providing the largest assistance for developing
education. The total amount of loans from the World Bank, utilized by the MONE
during the First Twenty-five-year Long-term Development Plan––PJP I (1970-95), is
US$1.54 billion. The total amount of loans from the ADB during the period 1975-
1995 is US$1.39 billion.
The educational process

T
The 1989 Education Law has been a landmark of change towards the current
education system. First, it extended basic education from six years to nine years of
schooling at the primary and lower secondary schools. Second, it delegated from
central government to regional offices the design of the local curriculum content.
Third, it allowed teachers to have a more flexible adjustment of the national
curriculum to the local situations and contexts. Fourth, the head-teachers have been
given more options to select supplementary textbooks for their schools. Fifth, local
hetero-cultural preservation and development have been highly encouraged. Moreover,
the teaching of English at the primary schools is now permitted, particularly for
schools in the tourism and urban areas.
The present curricula for basic and secondary schools consist of national
content (about 80%) and local content (about 20%). The national content is developed
by the central government, which is also responsible for its implementation in all
public and private schools. The local content is developed at the provincial and, more
ideally, at the district level. The development of the national curriculum is the main
function of the Curriculum Development Center (CDC), under the MONE National
Institute for Educational Research and Development, in collaboration with the
Directorate General of Basic and Secondary Education. The local content is
developed by the Provincial Office of Education based on the guidelines prepared by
the CDC.
The central government decides upon the structure of the curriculum (subject
matters and weekly time allocation), curricular objectives, essential content of each
subject matter as well as the guidelines for the teaching-learning process and its
evaluation. The provincial government defines the local content, which consists of
subject matters or learning materials suited to local needs and conditions. The school

chooses the local content subject matters or learning materials according to its needs
and condition. The local content is intended for the students to be aware of, love and
appreciate local cultures and folklore, locally developed industries and other
productive economic resources. It may deepen, broaden or enrich the students'
knowledge and understanding and thus complement the national curriculum. The
choice of local learning areas is entirely up to the local government. They may
include local/native language and culture, local handicrafts or industries, agriculture,
land or coastal fisheries, or even foreign languages or computer studies, depending on
the local needs or interests.
The curriculum is defined as a set of plans and arrangements of content,

learning materials and methods used as guidelines for the teaching-learning activities.
It is designed to achieve the goal of national education taking into account the stages
of children's development as well as the local environments, in accordance with the
type and level of each educational institution. The school curricula reflect the history
of the nation and the political situation of the country. That is why in its earlier stages
the curriculum strongly emphasized the teaching of subject matters that will inculcate
the state's ideology and beliefs and develop in the students the spirit of nationalism,
patriotism and unity. In the 1960s, emphasis was given to the teaching of national
ideology; the focus of the curriculum was primarily to meet the needs of the rural
society, and recognition of the importance of vocational skills and further education.
The curriculum reform in the early 1970s placed emphasis on the teaching and
development of science and technology. This reform resulted in the 1975 curricula for
pre-primary, primary and secondary education. These curricula were later criticized
for being overly objective-oriented, too rigid and overloaded. The 1984 curricula
attempted to eliminate the weaknesses identified; the new syllabi were not too
detailed so as to provide flexibility for teachers in managing the teaching-learning
activities.
The latest curriculum reform was conducted in 1999, ten years later in
response to the messages contained in the Education Law of 1989, which resulted in
the 1994 Curriculum. Criticisms concerning the current curricula focus on three areas.
First, the curricula are overloaded. Teachers are more concerned with completing
curricular targets than making students learn and understand the curriculum content.
Second, they are too rigid to leave room for flexibility in the educational process.
Third, they tend to overlook students differences in academic competencies and the
contents are said to be appropriate for students with high academic capability.
The Government plans to reform the present curricula and develop a national
competency-based curriculum and assessment framework designed to maintain unity
yet allowing for diversity. The national competency-based curriculum is a framework
that sets out what students are expected to achieve in each grade. Each level of
competency will be a step in the students' progress towards higher levels of
competence in key areas. The definition of student competency at each grade will be
expressed in general terms. They will therefore allow for provincial and local
differences in subject matters as well as for differences in local facilities and students'
abilities. However, it will always be possible for students, schools, districts and
provinces to measure their own performances against national standards of
competence. The framework will include reformed methods of assessing students'
achievements. It will provide ways to strengthen teachers' abilities in the assessment

of classroom activities. It will also continue to provide for examinations at key grade
levels, based on the competencies expected of students. And it will enable regular
monitoring of and research into the achievements of the national education system. To
make the most of the curriculum's flexibility, there will be a planned introduction of
school-based management concepts and principles. This will allow schools to choose
and decide on the best ways to effectively use the available resources in meeting their
particular needs, policies and priorities.
The contents of the future curriculum in Indonesia will emphasize subject

matters that are able to face global challenges and the rapid development of science
and technology, for example, mathematics and sciences will become the core of the
development of curriculum in every type and level of education. In line with this,
subject matters that concentrate on the whole development of personality of students,
that are sports and arts, must also be emphasized equally in the national educational
curriculum. Finally, the curriculum contents must have foundations of ethics and
morals, which are developed into religious and other relevant subject matters. Besides
those criteria, national education curriculum is developed based upon the following
indicators below:
• Curriculum is flexible and simple, adaptable to changes in the future due

to the impact of development of science and technology and community
claims;
• Curriculum must be a general guideline for students’ active learning,

with not too much detail so it can be developed individually and
creatively by teachers appropriate to students’ potencies, conditions of
resources, and other local contexts;
• Development of curriculum must be conducted simultaneously by the

development of learning resources and teaching media;
• Education curriculum must have global/regional standards, national

insights, and be implemented locally;
• Curriculum must be one unity and have continuity with the next levels
of education;
• Curriculum development is no longer under authority of a central

government—with the exception of the core curriculum, generally
mathematics, sciences and languages—, but is a shared activity with the
local government, and even community;
• Curriculum development is not directed to create a single curriculum for

all schools, but can be differentiated for various learning levels of
students, also with different measurement for each group of students;
• Curriculum recognizes that education in school needs support from

family and the community, where learning also occurs.

The national framework of competencies, by its nature, will enable standards

to be developed at key points in the students' progress through the various elements of
the curriculum over the twelve years of schooling. Standards summarize the typical
performances of students in specific parts of the curriculum at certain grade levels.
Data from national examinations, tests and surveys, combined with international data,
will be used to establish standards. Expected standards of moral behaviour, civic
behaviour and work ethics will also be included. The purpose of establishing
standards is to improve the overall quality of education for all. All schools will be
expected to achieve and where possible to exceed the standards. Reforms in the
curriculum, assessment, teacher development and school management will support
these efforts.
Pre-primary education
Pre-school education is aimed at stimulating the physical and mental growth of pupils
outside the family environment, before entering primary school or out-of-school
educational programmes. The focus of education is on the development of attitudes,
knowledge, skills and creative abilities, so that the children may adapt to their
environment more quickly and easily, and for their further growth and development.
However, pre-school education attendance is neither a prerequisite nor a requirement
for entry into primary school.
The types of pre-school education include kindergartens, playgroups and

child-care centres. Most of pre-schools are run by the community or private
organizations. Kindergartens are classed as in-school education facilities, while
playgroups and child-care centres are part of the out-of-school system. Apart from
these units, there are also special Islamic pre-schools, which have the same status as
kindergartens. These schools are called Bustanul Atfal and Raudlatul Atfal, and are
organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Pre-school education (kindergarten) caters to children aged 4-6 and lasts one
or two years. Children’s welfare in playgroups and child-care centres is the
responsibility of the Ministry of Social Affairs, while the educational aspects are
organized by the MOEC according to the Government Regulation No. 27 of 1990.
Pre-school educational units in the form of playgroups and child-care centres may be
attended by children up to 3 years old.
The content of the pre-school programme for kindergartens (in-school system)

must include: Pancasila, moral education, religion, discipline, language skills,
intellectual stimulation, creativity, social skills, feelings and emotions, manual skills
and physical abilities and health. Playgroups are part day (2 hours a day), part week (3
days a week) programs that are similar to the day care centers but operate on a much
more limited scale. They have as their primary goal developing children’s social skills
and readiness for school, thus focusing on meeting children’s needs rather than on the
needs of working parents.
Since 1969, pre-schools have increased in terms of total numbers of school

buildings, children and teachers, indicating a community awareness of the importance
and strategic role of pre-school as a tool in the improvement of attitude, knowledge,
skills and creativity of young children.

In 1996, in urban areas the gross enrolment rate at the kindergarten level was
41.9% (MOEC, 1999). In 2003, the gross enrolment rate of 5-6 year olds in pre-
school was 45.3% in the urban areas and 24.1% in the rural areas. In 2003/2004,
37.2% of children entering primary education had previous preschool experience.
Currently, there are 46,900 schools, 1.85 million pupils, and 137,070 teachers in
kindergarten.
The average pupil-teacher ratio decreased from 17.3:1 in 1990 to 16.9:1 in

1994, to the present ratio of 13:1 (2004).
Primary and junior secondary education (basic education)
Six years of compulsory education for children aged 7-12 were institutionalized in
1984. As a result, the participation rate at the primary level reached 92.1% in 1993,
compared to 79.3% in 1983. As of 1994, the programme has been extended to cover
students in the age group 13-15 years (i.e. junior secondary school). The policy has
been recognized as the nine-year compulsory basic education. The major purpose of
the extension is to alleviate the problem of child labour and to keep children in school
up to the point where they are able to keep up with the changing demands of society,
especially those who cannot afford to pursue a higher level of education.
In addition to primary and junior secondary education, there is also an Islamic

primary school administered by the Ministry of Religious Affairs: the Islamic primary
school (Madrasah Ibtidaiyah), equivalent to primary school, and the Islamic junior
secondary school (Madrasah Tsanawiyah), equivalent to junior secondary school.
Primary education provides general education. The goal of basic education is

to develop the lives of children as individuals, members of society, citizens and
members of humankind, as well as to prepare them to pursue their studies in
secondary education. The core content of the basic education curriculum consists of:
Pancasila, religion, civic education, Indonesian language, reading and writing,
mathematics, introduction to science and technology, geography, national and general
history, handicraft and arts, sports and health education, drawing, English language,
and local content areas. More than one element may be joined in one subject matter;
or, vice versa, one element may be divided into more than one subject. The 1994 basic
education curriculum was implemented in phases until the end of the 1996/1997
academic year. The weekly lesson timetable is presented in the table below:

In 2002/2003, there were 25.9 million primary school students, consisting of 13.3
million male pupils and 12.6 million female pupils. The net enrolment ratio for
primary school increased from 58.4% in 1968 to 94.5% in 1999/2000, and 96% in
2003. The evolution of the enrolment ratio at the junior secondary level is also
meaningful, although it still needs to be improved. The gross enrolment ratio at the
junior secondary level grew from 17.1% in 1968 to 57.8% in 1994 (71.8% in
1999/2000), while the net enrolment ratio increased from 39.6% in 1989/1990 to
54.9% in 1999/2000 to 79% in 2002/2003. In 2002/2003, enrolment in junior
secondary schools was 7.4 million pupils, of which 7.4 million were males and 3.6
million females. Apart from socio-geographical reasons, male students have better
opportunities of admission than girls do. In 1994/1995, the enrolment rate of boys at
the primary level was 51.8% (girls: 48.2%), and 52.7% at the junior secondary level
(girls: 47.3%).
As part of the expansion of educational opportunities at the basic education

level and within the initial stage of the nine-year basic education programme, junior
secondary education was developed. However, the number of pupils continuing their
studies at the junior secondary level remained low. By intensifying the junior
secondary school (JSS) expansion, it is hoped that within fifteen years, all 13 million
of primary school graduates will have the opportunity to enter junior secondary
schools. The JSS expansion will be supported by the building of new schools, hiring
new teachers, developing more infrastructure and facilities and by the development of
the open junior secondary school programme for students aged 13-15 who are not
able to follow the regular JSS.

In 1993/1994, the input-output ratio at the primary level was 78%. The input-
output ratio is influenced by the number of pupils repeating and dropping out at
certain grades. The number of primary school dropouts was relatively high, i.e. 3.2%
or almost one million students. The average repetition rate was reported at 7.6%,
representing about two million of primary school pupils. The percentage of repeaters
in the first year of primary education was extremely high (14.2%). In 2003/2004,
percentage of repeaters throughout primary education was 4%; the survival rate to the
last grade of primary was 86%, and the transition rate from primary to secondary
education was 81%.
In 1998, the average pupil-teacher ratio was 22:1 at the primary level and 18:1
at the lower secondary level (MOEC, 1999). By 2004, it lowered to 20:1 at the
primary level and 15:1 at the lower secondary level.
Secondary education
Secondary education lasts three years and is for graduates of basic education. The
types of secondary education include: (a) general secondary education, which gives
priority to expanding knowledge, developing students skills and preparing them to
continue their studies at the higher education level; (b) vocational secondary
education, which gives priority to expanding specific occupational skills and
emphasizes the preparation of students to enter the world of work and expanding their
professional attitudes; (c) religious secondary education (Madrasah Aliyah, managed,
run and supervised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs), which gives priority to the
mastery of religious knowledge; and (d) service-related secondary education, which
emphasizes the training of service tasks for civil servants or candidates for civil
service.
Secondary education aims at expanding and developing attitudes, knowledge

and skills of the students for further education at the tertiary level or entry to the
world of work. The length of secondary education is three years for general secondary
and three or four years for vocational education.
General secondary education is offered in general secondary schools and

Islamic senior secondary schools. General secondary education develops the students’
knowledge in accordance with the progress of science, technology and the arts, and
enables them to continue their studies at higher levels of education. It also develops
the student’s abilities as a member of the community to interact with his/her social,
cultural and natural environment.
General secondary education consists of general and specific teaching

programmes. The general education programme is implemented in Forms I and II,
while the specific teaching programme starts to be implemented in Form III. The new
curriculum has been implemented in phases, and was extended to all forms in
1996/1997. Quality has been improved by introducing a quarter-year academic cycle
(instead of the half-year/semester), and a students streaming division (by discipline) in
Form III instead of Form II. In addition, planning, assessment of quality, and
provision of educational infrastructure and facilities have also been improved. The
weekly lesson timetable is shown in the table below:

Vocational secondary education programmes are organized into six different groups
of vocational fields, namely: agriculture and forestry; technology and industry;
business and management; community welfare; tourism; and arts and handicraft. The

national curriculum is adjusted to the local and environmental needs and distinctive
features of the vocational education concerned. The curriculum of vocational
secondary school consists of general and vocational education programmes.
The general programme consists of a number of compulsory subject matters

aiming at moulding the character of students. The general programme consists of
Pancasila and civics (two periods per week), religion (two periods per week),
Indonesian language and literature (two periods), sports and health education (two
periods), and national and general history (two periods per week). To these subjects
are added thirty-two periods of specific content, which results in a total of forty-two
periods per week. The professional subjects aim at generating a productive ability in
the specific field of work.
Access to secondary education is a very real problem for many students from
low-income families. The fact that schools lack teachers, equipment, and facilities is a
result of limited available funds. Consequently, most of the schools face difficulty in
providing students with good learning conditions such as libraries, books, laboratories,
and other equipment. Financial difficulties and family problems are the main reasons
for dropping out of school. School fees charged at the senior secondary level
frequently pose an insurmountable barrier to deserving students from poor families.
Between 1968 and 1992, the number of schools increased, with an average of
1,712 new schools every five years. Likewise, on average 50,761 new teachers were
recruited per every five years in the same period.
The enrolment rate in the general and vocational secondary schools is on the
increase. The percentage of the 16-18-year-olds at the senior secondary level was
8.6% in 1968 and it reached 35.1% in 1994. The government is constantly expanding
and investing in vocational secondary education. In line with the boost of the
industrial sector, the number of vocational education students grew from 27.8% in
1988 to 38.86% in 1994. In the same year, the number of male and female students
enrolled at the senior secondary school (SSS) level was 54.3% and 45.7%,
respectively. The quality of vocational education still needs to be improved, its scope
expanded and its programmes matched to the employment needs. At the senior
secondary level, the gross enrolment ratio was estimated at 39.3% and the net
enrolment ratio at 31.6% in 1999/2000. In 2002/2003, total enrolment in senior
secondary schools was 5.2 million pupils—a net enrolment of 51%—, 2.8 million of
whom were males and 2.4 million were females.
In 1993/1994, the input-output ratio was 93% at the JSS level, and 91% at the
SSS level. Dropouts at the JSS and SSS levels equal 3.9% or 930,000 students and
2.8% or 106,000 students, respectively. The average repetition rate was 0.7% (or
41,000 students) at the JSS level and 0.7% (or 26,000 students) at the SSS level. From
1994 to 2000, the average student-teacher ratio in senior secondary schools has
remained consistent at 13:1.
Assessing learning achievement nationwide
Four types of assessment exist at the primary and secondary levels.

• Classroom-based continuous assessment with directions and guidelines

provided to teachers on assessment procedures. Assessment may take place
after the completion of a small teaching unit at the end of every quarter or
semester, or at the end of an academic year.
• External assessment consisting of a school leaving examination at the end of

each school level.
• A survey of student achievement involving a sample of a student’s

performance and other relevant variables to be conducted periodically. At
present, surveys conducted are not professionally designed and the instruments
tend to be of poor quality. A National Assessment Programme is foreseen.
• University entrance examination. These examinations tend to be very difficult

due to the interests of top universities to select the best candidates. Many
teachers in senior secondary school focus on preparing students for these
exams rather than on the prescribed secondary school curriculum. Students
who have a consistently high performance during senior secondary school
maybe exempted from the examination.
Higher education
Higher education institutions include academies, polytechnics, colleges, institutes and
universities. Academies offer applied science education in one or part of a discipline,
technology or the arts. Polytechnics offer applied science education in a variety of
specific fields. Both of these forms of higher education are categorized as professional
education. Colleges offer academic and professional education in one particular
discipline. An institute consists of faculties offering academic and/or professional
education in disciplines that belong to the same group of a professional field. A
university consists of several faculties offering academic and/or professional
education in several disciplines, technologies and/or the arts.
Higher education aims to prepare students to enter society with academic

and/or professional skills that can be applied to further develop and disseminate
science, technology or the arts, in order to improve the people’s welfare and enrich
national culture. Higher education is not only managed by the government, but also
by the private sector.
Enrolment of new students into a national university is based on the national

entrance test and on the achievement-monitoring process, i.e. portfolio assessment or
PMDK. Those who are accepted through the PMDK procedure are not required to
take an entrance test. However, this type of selection is not implemented in all
universities.
To ensure that graduates are qualified, the development of higher education

includes attempts to improve the quality of lecturers involved in academic activities
and research by: providing additional training; improving the development of science
and technology by encouraging research and development activities on the basis of
present and future needs; developing the campus as a dynamic scientific enclosure

with a national orientation outlook; developing centres of excellence for science, as a

means for students and freelance scientists to develop and improve their professional
skills in order to participate in the national development; and providing facilities with
which to conduct education, research and the development of science and technology.
Government subsidies are provided to gifted students of low economic status.
However, educational equity needs to be improved by eliminating constraints that
hinder gifted and talented candidates from receiving an education suited to their
capacities. There is a need to develop the student admission process in order to
identify students with the exceptional talent and qualifications required.
Higher education is constantly expanding at public and private universities and

colleges. The gross enrolment rate in 1968 was 1.7% and there has been a consistent
increase up to 10.2% in 1994, with the percentages of male and female students at
61.4 and 38.5%, respectively (the higher the level of education, the smaller the
number of female students). Total enrolment in the academic year 2002/2003 was 3.1
million students, of which 1.7 million were male and 1.4 million female. The vast
majority of senior secondary school graduates opt for the job market rather than
higher education. On average 14,540 additional teachers were recruited for higher
education every five years between 1968 and 1993.
In 1979, a semester credit unit system was officially introduced and academic
education was remodeled along the lines of the United States system––consisting of
graduate, masters and doctoral programmes. Simultaneously, another type of terminal
programme was introduced, i.e. a non-graduate programme leading to a diploma.
Academic education consists of masters and doctoral degree programmes. The

minimum load of graduate programme studies is 144 semester credit units and the
maximum is 160 semester credit units, scheduled for at least eight semesters and up to
fourteen semesters after secondary education. The minimum load of a master’s degree
programme is thirty-six semester credit units and the maximum is fifty; the
programme should be completed in a minimum of four and a maximum of ten
semesters, including thesis preparation after the graduate programme. The minimum
load of a doctoral degree programme is forty and the maximum is fifty semester credit
units, which is scheduled for at least four semesters and with the maximum study
duration of ten semesters, including dissertation writing after the master’s degree
programme.
Professional education consists of diploma programmes (Diploma I to IV) and

specialist programmes (Specialist I and II). The minimum load of Diploma I
programmes is forty semester credit units and the maximum is fifty (from two to four
semesters after secondary education). The minimum load of Diploma II programmes
is eighty semester credit units and the maximum is ninety (four to six semesters after
secondary education). The minimum load of Diploma III programmes is 110 and the
maximum is 120 semester credit units (six to ten semesters after secondary education).
The minimum load of Diploma IV programmes is 144 and the maximum is 160
semester credit units (eight to fourteen semesters after secondary education).
The minimum load of Specialist I programmes is thirty-six and the maximum

is fifty semester credit units (four to ten semesters after the graduate programme). The
minimum load of Specialist II programmes is forty and the maximum is fifty semester

credit units (ten semesters after the Specialist I programme or its equivalent).
Professional education programmes require between twenty and forty semester credit
units to form professional services abilities and are implemented within two to six
semesters after a graduate programme.
The academic background of lecturers is quite low. In 1994/95, of 51,875

permanent staff at the public universities only 7% percent had a S-III (doctorate)
degree; 23% had S-II (master’s) degrees; and the majority (70%) had S-I (graduate)
degrees. The situation in private universities is not better. Out of 98,732 permanent
staff, only 2% had S-III degrees; 12% had S-II degrees; and 86% had S-I degrees.
Among the problems that currently affect higher education are the low salaries of the
lecturers working in public universities, the shortage of rooms/space provided for
lecturers, and their incapacity to read books written in foreign languages. Translated
copies are scarce and the quality of available translations is low. In recent years,
translation of textbooks has been promoted by the government.
The number of unemployed S-I graduates is very high while almost all D-III
(diploma) graduates are employed. The provision of S-I graduates is far greater than
the other diploma graduates in relation to the number needed by the world of work.
Universities are mostly producing social science graduates while the country
needs more workers with science skills. The universities are being encouraged to
foster and develop study programmes that are better suited to the employment needs
of the local environment, in order to boost development. They are also requested to
help develop their environment by giving assistance to small and middle-sized
industrial business enterprises and help them solve their problems. Co-operation
between universities and the world of business and industry needs to be improved, for
their mutual benefit. In particular, university research should be oriented towards the
needs of business and industry.
The number of dropouts at the higher education level is a serious problem. In

1994/1995, the percentage of students graduating from public universities was 16% of
the number of registered students (10.6% from private universities).
In 1994/95, there were 51 public universities and more than 1,000 private
universities with a total of 2,229,796 students enrolled (Islamic higher education
enrolments––about 315,000 students––are not included). In 2005, the higher
education system comprises close to 2,600 higher education institutions including 82
public higher education institutions. The quality of higher education needs to be
improved, especially in the fields of science and technology to support future industry.
The quality of higher education depends upon the quality of the research produced at
the post-graduate level, hence the need to expand the master’s and doctoral
programmes. The budget allocated for research and development in Indonesia is very
small, only 0.2%. Research funds allocated by Bappenas to the Ministry of Science
and Technology amounted to 650 trillion rupiah in 1993/1994, while higher education
research only received 21.5 trillion rupiah through the Directorate of Research and
Community Service of Higher Education. The latter figure was already a sharp
increase, compared to 3.8 trillion rupiah in 1988/89. The increase was made possible
through a loan from the World Bank and the agreed long-term Competitive Grants.
Since funds are now regularly available, the strategy has changed to funding groups of

researchers, long-term research, and research oriented toward the developing of

science and technology or to helping solve development problems. The following
research programmes are carried out at the university:
Various Science Subjects. This programme is directed towards the improvement of

research in various science subjects. The number of activities increased sharply,
starting from slightly less than 1,000 research topics submitted in 1988/89 to 3,200
topics in 1994/95. The total number of research topics was 15,000. There are research
programmes in environment and in basic sciences. Topics in environment were
conducted with the co-operation of the Centre for Environmental Studies, and the
basic science research was conducted with the Research on Basic Sciences, which is
associated with the Faculty of Mathematics and Science. Thirty percent of the topics
were selected and all the universities made use of the facility.
Competitive Grants. Research programmes funded under this scheme started in

1992/1993 and were targeted towards university lecturers who are productive
researchers. The grant was to fund research projects of two to five years duration.
These research programmes are expected to produce science and technology
innovations or development problem-solving outcomes. For three years, a total of
2,000 research topics were submitted and 344 topics (or 17%) were recommended for
funding. About 8% are at the S-I level; 28% at the S-II level; and 64% at the S-III
level.
Integrated Research of Excellence. This programme started in 1993/1994 and

provided opportunities for capable researchers to conduct long-term research projects
lasting two to four years. The multi-disciplinary approach is used and several research
institutes are involved to improve efficiency. The outcomes of the research are
expected to solve national development problems. About 60-70% of the total
researchers involved are university lecturers. Funding is directly co-ordinated by the
Ministry of Science and Technology.
Centre for Inter-University Programmes. This programme started in 1986 and was
developed within the framework of training and development in certain subjects
requiring high investment in human resources, as well as infrastructure and facilities.
It includes biotechnology, biology, food and nutrition, electronics, material sciences,
social sciences and economics. The training is related to the post-graduate
programmes and is located at: the University of Indonesia, the Bogor Institute of
Agriculture, the Bandung Institute of Technology and the Gajah Mada University.
Although the special PAU research programmes ended in 1994, the funds offered
through these research programmes are relatively large and can be used for further
years.
Other research programmes. Several other research projects at the Directorate General
of Higher Education are also funded, although not on a large scale. For example: the
East Indonesia Development Project in co-operation with Canada; the Six Universities
Development and Rehabilitation project; the development of nine universities in the
outer islands; the Centre for Rehabilitation of Tropical Forests project; etc. The
Directorate General also co-operates with the Applied Agricultural Research Project
and the Agricultural Management Project. The university itself also co-operates with
other institutions or accepts to conduct research “on order”.

Government assistance to private universities is directed towards the

improvement of the quality of the university itself. Private universities are partners in
providing quality university graduates to meet the needs of the labour force. Aside
from direct assistance, the government contribution to private universities includes the
provision of lecturers and information to students and their parents for giving
guidance to make their choice in enrolment. The provision of information is meant to
enable the marketing mechanism to work more effectively and efficiently and to
create an incentive for the private universities to enhance their efforts in improving
quality.
The initiatives to provide more autonomy while demanding accountability to

higher education started in mid-90s. In 1998 the government enacted the Regulation
No. 61 as the basis for public university to be converted into a state-owned and
autonomous legal entity—known as BHMN (Badan Hukum Milik Negara). The
Regulation was further emphasized in the National Education System Law No 20 of
2003. Under this law, all higher education institution, public as well as private, shall
be established as a legal entity (Badan Hukum Pendidikan). In 2005, six public higher
education institutions have the status of BHMN. The six BHMN have all established
their Board of Trustees and had their rector appointed by the Board. Other major
organs such as Academic Senate and Audit Board have also been established. The
first four BHMN have also had their by laws enacted.
The Higher Education Long Term Strategy (HELTS) 2003–2010 aims at

introducing a structural adjustment in the existing system in order to foster the
country’s competitiveness. The new system should be of high quality,
organizationally healthy, effectively coordinated, providing more autonomy as well as
accountability to institutions. It should provide opportunities for all citizens to a
seamless learning process, inspiring and enabling individuals to develop to the highest
potential levels throughout life, so that they can grow intellectually, well equipped for
work, and contribute effectively to society, as well as achieve personal fulfillment.
In the year 2000, tertiary-level institutions enrolled a total of 3,046,162

students (of whom 2,039,167 in the private sectors) and had a total of 121,338
lecturers (68,725 in the private sector). The gross enrolment ratio was estimated at
11.9%. (MONE, 2001). In 2004, total enrolment in tertiary education was 3,441,429
students, with 61% in private institutions of higher education.
Special education
Special education is intended and designed for children and students who suffer from
physical, mental and/or behavioural disabilities. This type of education is aimed at
helping the physically and/or mentally disabled students to be able to develop
intellectual and emotional relationships within their social, cultural and natural
environment and to develop their capability to compete in the job market or continue
to higher education. Special education is organized by government and private
institutions, namely the Ministry of National Education, other ministries and non-
governmental organizations. It consists of special pre-school (one to three
years duration), special primary school (at least six years duration), and special
secondary school (at least three years duration).

Physical disabilities include visual disorders that result in blindness or in

decrease of sight, hearing impairments, and other physical disabilities that affect the
motor, sensory and mobility functions of the body. Mental disorders include minor
and medium-level mental disorders, whereas behavioural deviations are those
disorders that affect children in their adjustment to their environment.
Special schools in Indonesia tend to be concentrated in certain provinces. In

2002/2003, there were 1,338 special schools in Indonesia (644 in 1994/1995),
comprising public and private schools. At least 65% of the schools are located in five
provinces, and the remaining 35% are located in the other 25 provinces in Indonesia.
The distribution of special education teachers tends to follow that of the special
schools. The special education teachers account for 12,086 persons in 2002/2003
(7,444 in 1994/1995), with at least 68% concentrated in five provinces and the
remaining 32% in the other 25 provinces. The number of special students in
2002/2003 was 49,609 (31,844 in 1994/1995). Of this number, 45% have hearing
impairments, 30% have visual impairments, 13% have mild intellectual disabilities,
3% have moderate intellectual disabilities, 3% have multiple disabilities, 2% have
behavioural difficulties, and 1% have mild physical disabilities.
Private education
Private schools have a substantial impact on the education of society, as can be seen
in the large number of private schools compared with public schools. Some private
schools belong to federative foundations—owned collectively by a group or
community, and mostly religious-based—such as the Moslem, Catholic and Christian
foundations. Some schools are under non-federative foundations—owned by an
individual or group of individuals or community–such as Taruna Nusantara, Pelita,
Harapan, Global Jaya, Bina Bangsa, Bhakti Idhata, etc. In general, the source of the
private school revenue comes from school contribution, school fees, and other sources.
Indonesia has a long tradition of delivering early childhood services in

partnership with the private sector. Individuals, NGOs and foundations have set up
kindergartens, playgroups and childcare centres, which cater mainly for families of
middle or upper-middle class. These partners are now members of the Early
Childhood Education Forum.
Statistics concerning private education in 1994/95 are shown in the table

below:

School, pupil and teacher distribution in percentage (1994/95)
Type Schools Pupils/Students Teachers/Lecturers

Public Private Public Private Public Private
Primary school 93.13 6.87 92.68 7.32 92.76 7.24
Lower secondary 45.10 54.90 66.68 33.32 58.93 41.07
school
- general 43.66 56.34 66.22 33.78 58.81 41.19
- vocational 87.71 12.29 92.76 7.24 95.65 4.35
Senior secondary 26.99 73.01 45.76 54.24 41.85 58.15
school
- general 31.00 69.00 55.07 44.93 46.36 53.64
- vocational 18.75 81.25 31.12 68.88 33.73 66.27
Higher education 4.29 95.71 48.13 51.87 34.44 65.56
Source: Ministry of Education and Culture, 1997.
Currently, private schools provide education to 99% of all pre-primary

students, 16% of all primary students, 42% of all students in senior secondary and
68% of vocational education students.
Means of instruction, equipment and infrastructure

Since 1973, large numbers of new schools have been built through the Presidential
Instruction Programme (INPRES) called Development Assistance for Primary Schools.
Since 1987, this programme has expanded its coverage by giving assistance to every
school in the form of the Operational and Maintenance Fund (OMF) for schools. The
amount of funding increased every year, from 310,000 rupiah per school in 1987 to
700,000 in 1992. The OMF is given to every public primary school, some private
primary schools, and some private Islamic primary schools.
In 1994/1995, there were 146,861 primary school units and 592,582 primary
school classrooms; 5,212 general junior secondary school units and 64,306 general
junior school classrooms. The implementation of the nine-year basic education
programme will entail building about 150,000 new classrooms to accommodate six
million new junior secondary school students, or an average of 15,000 new
classrooms per year for ten years. However, there are still gaps in educational
infrastructure and facilities in some provinces, in rural and in disadvantaged areas. In
2002/2003, there were 146 100 primary school units and 871,500 classrooms—with
42.5% in good condition, 34.4% in fair condition, and 23.1% in bad condition. In
junior secondary school, there were 20,900 schools in 2002/2003, 10,900 of which
were public and 10,000 private. In senior secondary, the number of schools was
12,000 with 8,030 general and 4,900 vocational senior secondary schools. The
number of higher education institutions was 1,900. Due to seemingly rising interest in
vocational and technical education in 18 provinces, MoNE has been implementing

integrated schools, which combine vocational and technical senior secondary schools
with general secondary schools on the same school compound to raise efficiency in
the sue of resources.
Starting from the school year 1977/1978, the government implemented the
school fee exemption programme, in order to assist children who are not able to enter
primary school because of the inability to pay fees. The government pays a subsidy
(known as SBPP-SDN) to each public primary school to fill the gap created by
allowing non-fee paying pupils to attend. In 1995/1996, the orientation of the subsidy
programme was changed without reducing the previous coverage.
As far as the procurement of primary school textbooks is concerned, since the

end of the First Repelita (1973/1974) until the end of the Fifth Repelita (1993/1994),
469.6 million copies of main textbooks, 310.7 million library books and 1.4
million magazines had been procured and distributed.
In the six-year period between 1993 and 1999, the government provided at
least 820 science laboratories, 645 libraries, 6,710 art and sport learning equipment,
10,157 mathematics learning equipment, 4,079 social science laboratory equipment
packages, 3,687 computers, 36,016,634 textbooks, and 1,327,500 reference books for
libraries.
Limited finance is the largest problem faced by the schools in keeping up with
technology. It also affects the educational infrastructure and materials, which should
be improved and adapted to current needs.
Adult and non-formal education

Non-formal or out-of-school education, based on Government Regulation No.
73/1991, has a very important role to play in eliminating illiteracy, by providing an
education equivalent to primary and junior secondary schools. Out-of-school
education is organized outside the formal education system through teaching and
learning activities that are not gradual and continuous. It is characterized by flexibility
in relation to the time and duration of studies, the age of the learners, the contents of
the lessons, the way the lessons are organized, and the assessment of learning
achievement. Out-of-school education involves families, group learning, and courses.
Family education, as part of the non-formal training, is one effort to train the
society through lifelong education. Family education––which fosters religious beliefs,
cultural values and moral standards––helps to create an environment in support of the
goals of national education.
Out-of-school education is provided by governmental and non-governmental

agencies, the private sector and the community. The communities may provide all
types of education with the exception of functional education. Out-of-school
education includes courses, group learning or any other option, like play groups,
crèches, etc. The out-of-school education programme provides learners with an
opportunity to: develop their knowledge and skills required to work and generate an
income, or to proceed to a higher level of education through short and life-long

learning processes; raise their dignity and standard of living; fulfil the needs to learn
which cannot be met by the formal education system; and be responsible to the
community and the country.
The learning activity is held three times a week depending on the consensus
reached by the learners, tutor, manager, and organizer. Students study with the tutors
but must also study autonomously or in small groups outside the class time. The
learning content is delivered in the form of modules. Students are evaluated by a
multiple-choice test on each subject at the end of each semester to determine if they
will move on to the next set of modules. Courses are organized at the basic, middle
and advanced levels. Groups studying “Packet A” are organized to obtain an
educational level equivalent to the primary school level. Likewise, groups studying
“Packet B” are organized to obtain the equivalent of the junior high school level of
education. Groups studying “Packet C” are organized to obtain an educational level
equivalent to the senior secondary level.
The number of illiterates in 1971 was 31,464,860 or 39.1% of the population.

It went down to 30,096,559 (or 28.8%) in 1980; 21,494,117 (15.9%) in 1990; and
16,994,117 in 1994. The number of “Packet A” participants increased from 600,000
in 1989/90 to 1,129,214 in 1994/95. The number of “Packet B” participants grew even
faster, from 3,930 in 1990/91 to 123,493 in 1994/95.
The out-of-school education level should be improved by equipping the

participants with skills needed by the industrial and economic sectors. Other efforts
include small business learning, apprenticeships and skills development. The number
of out-of-school participants in income-generating programmes was 188,320 persons
during the Fifth Repelita (1989-94) and 4,048 in 1994/95.
Teaching staff
T
“Primary school teachers previously were graduates of SPG (school for primary
school teachers), which was a three-year education programme following junior
secondary education (at the same level as the senior secondary school). However, in
order to improve the quality of primary school, the government decided to increase
the education of primary school teachers from secondary education to higher
education level with a two-year diploma course (D II programme) following senior
secondary education. […] At the same time, the government has launched a national
in-service training programme for primary school teachers throughout the country
using the Open University. Its objective is to train existing teachers to the equivalent
level of the Diploma II. Teachers in junior secondary schools are mostly supplied
from the graduates of PGSMTP (equivalent to D I or D II teacher training), and D II
teacher training run by the institutes and faculties of teacher education. […] Now,
junior secondary school teachers should have at least D II education. The teachers of
senior secondary schools are mostly recruited from the graduates of PGSLA
(equivalent to D II teacher training), D III, and Level 1 [master’s] degrees.”
(Moegiadi & Jiyono, 1995, p. 443). The qualification requirement for Early
Childhood Care and Education educators (kindergarten teachers, including Islamic
kindergartens, playgroups and childcare centres) is a 2-year teacher-training college
diploma in Kindergarten education (D2-PGTK).

The quality of education at the various school levels is closely related to the
capacity of the Teacher Training Institute (LPTK) to produce quality teachers. The
LPTK trains an average of 7,500 primary school (PS) teachers of the Diploma II
programme per year. This is a relatively small number, compared to the national
demand for teachers (296,653 PS teachers in 1994/95 and 26,740 general junior
secondary and senior secondary school teachers in 1992/1993). The number of
graduates is even smaller, compared to the number of teachers retiring, dying or
leaving (for other non-teaching jobs) every year, which reached 23,453 persons or
2.0% in 1994/1995. The discrepancy in PS teachers is mostly caused by the imbalance
in the distribution of teachers, as the national teacher-student ratio is 1:23.
The number of junior secondary school (JSS) and senior secondary school
(SSS) teachers in 1992/1993 was 379,478. There is a shortage of 7,590 teachers or 2%
every year. In 1991/1992, the LPTK produced 36,161 teachers. This figure
outnumbered the total number of teachers needed for each subject in 1992/1993. If the
LPTK structure remains the same as it is today, the number of surplus teachers will
increase each year. There is currently both a surplus and a shortage of teachers. Based
upon the 1994 curriculum, in 1992/93 the JSS and SSS had a surplus of 79,174
teachers but also a shortage of 52,434 teachers. The surplus of 79,174 are teachers in
subjects like Pancasila education, Bahasa Indonesia, social science, handicraft and
arts, sports and health, national history, sociology, geography and foreign languages.
There is a shortage of teachers in mathematics, science, English, local content, etc.
The shortage of teachers in local content was a result of the new government policy of
considering local community needs and conditions. The shortage in teachers of
religion is due to the fact that the LPTK does not produce teachers in religion, as this
is the job of an LPTK outside the Ministry of National Education.
As far as the quality of teacher education is concerned, the LPTK should meet
the challenge of becoming an institution responsive to the needs of society by
producing a large number of quality teachers. The alternative would be to restructure
the LPTK programme. The LPTK’s programme of studies should be more flexible
and adapted to current needs. The other challenge is to have a regular assessment of
the need for teachers and other teaching workers, based upon demands in the field. If
this can be materialized, the LPTK will become an inseparable part of the educational
workforce.
In 1994/1995, there were 1,172,640 primary school teachers; 392,588 JSS

teachers; and 316,479 SSS teachers. Of the total number of primary school teachers,
61,744 were qualified (5.3%); 1,026,228 were semi-qualified (87.5%); and 84,668
were under-qualified (7.2%). Of the total number of JSS teachers, 151,251 were
qualified (38.5%); 197,336 were semi-qualified (50.3%); and 44,001 were under-
qualified (11.2%). Of the total number of SSS teachers, 144,590 were qualified
(45.7%); 124,180 were semi-qualified (39.2%); and 47,709 were under-qualified
(15.1%).
In 2004, there were 1,431,486 primary school teachers; 662,843 junior

secondary school teachers; and 452,255 senior secondary school teachers.

Educational research and information

Information is not available.
References
Ministry of Education and Culture. Education development in Indonesia. A country
report. International Conference on Education, 45th session, Geneva, 1996.
Ministry of Education and Culture. Fifty years development of Indonesian education.

Jakarta, Office of Educational and Cultural Research and Development, MOEC, 1997.
Ministry of Education and Culture. Education For All 2000 Assessment: country
report of Indonesia. (Under the co-ordination of Dr. Soedijarto). Jakarta, 1999.
Ministry of National Education. National report on the development of education:

Indonesia. International Conference on Education, 46th session, Geneva, 2001.
Ministry of National Education. The Background Report of Indonesia. Prepared by

the Directorate General of Out of School Education and Youth for the
UNESCO/OECD Early Childhood Policy Review Project (ED/BAS/EIE/05/A). Paris,
UNESCO/OECD, August 2004.
Ministry of National Education. National report on the development of education:

Indonesia. Quality Education for All Young People: Challenges, Trends, and
Priorities in Indonesia. International Conference on Education, 47th session, Geneva,
2004.
Moegiadi and Jiyono. Indonesia. In: T.N. Postlethwaite, ed. International

encyclopaedia of national systems of education, p. 439-48. Second edition,
Oxford/New York/Tokyo, Elsevier Science, 1995.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Global Education Digest 2006: Comparing

Education Statistics Across the World. Montreal, UNESCO:UIS, 2006.
UNESCO International Bureau of Education. “Indonesia: goals and objectives of

education”. Pp. 83-87 in Globalization and Living Together: The Challenges for
Educational Content in Asia. Final report of the sub-regional course on curriculum
development, New Delhi, India, 9-17 March 1999, organized by the International
Bureau of Education and the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development. Paris,
Geneva, UNESCO:IBE, 2000.
UNESCO International Bureau of Education. Indonesia Curriculum Reform –

Situational Analysis 2002-2003. Geneva, UNESCO:IBE. [See the IBE
website: http://www.ibe.unesco.org/curriculum/asiaPacific_situation.htm]

Web resources
Ministry of National Education: http://www.depdiknas.go.id/ [In Bahasa Indonesia.
Last checked: October 2007.]
Curriculum Development Center: http://www.puskur.net [In Bahasa Indonesia. Last

checked: October 2007.]
For updated links, consult the Web page of the International Bureau of Education of
UNESCO: http://www.ibe.unesco.org/links.htm

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World Data on Education.

6th edition, 2006/07

Principles and general objectives of education

The education system provides learning opportunities to every citizen,

Current educational priorities and concerns

The development of the labour force structure in the country is characterized

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

The development of education has progressed rapidly since Indonesia’s

The country has successfully achieved the implementation of the universal

The effort of implementing the school-based management for all levels of

Indonesia has recently entered the Second Twenty-five-year Long-term

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

• the completion of the nine-year universal basic education

• improved quality and equity in educational opportunities for all types

• the relevance of education to development. The policy formulates that

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

Programme, which involves industry and commerce in vocational

• improved capacity to master science and technology through improved

• the encouragement of research in higher education, the results of

• the development of a monitoring and evaluation system of educational

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

emphasis on input, process, output and educational impact; measurement

• the efficiency in educational management, which is influenced by

Laws and other basic regulations concerning education

The Presidential Decree of 1994 on the Declaration of universal nine-year

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

The Decision of the People's Consultative Assembly No. IV of 1999 on the

The Government Regulation No. 60 of 1999 on Higher Education provides a

Administration and management of the education system

At the lower level, the MONE is represented by a Provincial Office of

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

The Ministry of Religious Affairs is responsible for the Islamic primary

The Centre for Curriculum and Educational Facilities Development—or

Structure and organization of the education system

The structure of the education system according to the National Education

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

Indonesia: structure of the education system

Source: Ministry of Education.

The six-year primary education programme is compulsory for pupils from 7 to 12

The junior secondary school level consists of a compulsory three-year education

Higher education is an extension of secondary education, which consists of

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

a three-year program at the doctoral level. Academies, polytechnics, institutes and

The financing of education

Officially, the government is responsible for financing education. However, the

The financial responsibility to achieve 9-year free compulsory basic education

The responsibility of the family in education is expressed in the form of a

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

Viewed from the perspective of the Five-year Development Planning Periods

During the Fifth Repelita, international loan assistance amounted to 51% of

The educational process

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

The curriculum is defined as a set of plans and arrangements of content,

Compiled by UNESCO-IBE (http://www.ibe.unesco.org/)

The contents of the future curriculum in Indonesia will emphasize subject

• Curriculum is flexible and simple, adaptable to changes in the future due

• Curriculum must be a general guideline for students’ active learning,

• Development of curriculum must be conducted simultaneously by the