Educational Discrimination against Disadvantaged Students

Kompas

Didie SW

Small private schools are facing a precarious situation. They have become victims of the new government policy on School Operational Aid (BOS), which also discriminates against students from disadvantaged families.

Overwhelmed by the Covid-19, many parents have been impacted economically by the pandemic, so schools have issued various educational contribution dispensations. Schools have relied on BOS for their educational operation. However, it will be increasingly difficult to obtain BOS funds because the rules have recently changed.

Based on the regulation from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Dikbud Ristek) No. 6/2021, the schools receiving regular BOS funds are required to have had at least 60 students over the last three years. Exempted from this rule are schools located in remote and interior regions, as well as schools managed by regional administrations.

This policy, as reported by Kompas (4/9/2021), has been rejected by the Alliance of Organizations of Educational Operation comprising the Basic and Intermediate Education Assembly of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah (Dikdasmen PP Muhammadiyah), the Ma’arif Educational Institute of Nahdlatul Ulama (LP Ma’arif NU) of the NU Central Board, the Central Board of the Indonesian Teachers Association (PB PGRI), the Catholic National Education Assembly, the Indonesian Christian Education Assembly and Taman Siswa.

The regulation, if closely scrutinized, is in fact opposed to the Constitution. The Preamble of the Constitution of 1945, often considered the best introduction to the constitution, unambiguously stipulates that the formation of the state aims “to promote the intellectual life of the nation”. Article 31 Paragraph (1) and Paragraph (2) even specify, “Every citizen shall be entitled to acquire education” and “Every citizen shall follow basic education and the government has the duty to fund it”.

The Constitution explicitly states that the government does not merely organize basic education, but it has the obligation to finance it too. Therefore, the elimination of BOS funds for schools having less than 60 students, whatever the reason may be, contradicts the Constitution.

If the reason is that many small private schools are only seeking financial benefits from the BOS funds, this is incorrect. The schools were set up by the Alliance of Organizations of Educational Operation a long time before the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence aimed to educate citizens of the country. If they were just intending to pursue financial gain, the founders would have only opened schools in urban areas or urban elite settlement zones.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

A teacher at State Elementary School 09 Pondok Kelapa, East Jakarta is teaching a face-to-face learning activity (PTM) at school, Monday (30/8/2021).

In reality, based on data from Dikdasmen PP Muhammadiyah, 6,817 primary schools (SD), junior high schools (SMP), senior high schools (SMA) and vocational high schools (SMK) under Muhammadiyah are spread over 34 provinces and the majority of these schools are not located in urban areas.

Similarly, according to data from LP Ma’arif NU, 7,462 ordinary schools from primary to high school level and 12,674 Islamic schools of different levels are managed by LP Ma’arif NU with most located in rural regions.

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The same situation is experienced by the PGRI with its 5,116 schools, as well as other schools under the Catholic National Education Assembly, the Indonesian Christian Education Assembly and Taman Siswa. All these schools are scattered over remote parts of the Indonesian Archipelago and a great number of them are in interior villages.

The schools do not care about the numbers of their students as what is important is to provide educational services for everyone. Not infrequently, teachers in these regions spend their own money to buy learning equipment. Teachers also remain dedicated even though their contract status can last decades without appointment by the government as full-time teachers.

The government’s obligation to provide education has been wholeheartedly supported by private schools for the sake of their love of Indonesia. They cherish the simple aspiration of producing the best generation in order to advance to the nation.

Second irony

It made us feel depressed and alarmed when the government announced the number of dropouts in the school year of 2019/2020, reaching around 157,000 students of SD, SMP and SMA/SMK. This should not have been the case because the government allocated a very large amount to the educational budget, at least 20 percent of the State Budget of Income and Expenditure (APBN), in line with the message of the Constitution.

Financial difficulties for families is one of the main causes for the school dropouts.

Yet school dropout cases have continued to rise. The number of dropouts has been dominated by SD, totaling about 59,400 students, followed by SMP with 38.500 students, SMA 26,900 students and SMK 32,400 students. In reality, the number could be many times higher. Financial difficulties for families is one of the main causes for the school dropouts.

To overcome this serious problem, all components of the nation should collaborate in accordance with their respective functions. Educational institutes or schools, for instance, should continue to undertake their operations with optimum flexibility to enable students’ schooling.

The Dikbud Ristek Ministry should continue to disburse BOS funds, using the allocation for 2021, which is Rp 52.5 trillion (US$3.7 billion) for all educational units without exception, including small private schools.

KOMPAS/KORNELIS KEWA AMA

Liliba Elementary School students in Kupang City study in groups using a handy talkie radio at home. One group consists of 4-6 students with one handy talkie. Teachers teach from school, they follow in groups. Liliba Kupang Elementary School Instruction document.

The fund disbursement without exception is important because educational institutes rely on BOS funds for their operation, involving large sums. For SD, for example, the amount is around Rp 900,000 – Rp 1.9 million multiplied by the number of students, and taking into account the variables of regional characteristics. For SMP it is around Rp 1.1 million – Rp 2.4 million, for SMA Rp 1.5 million – Rp 3.5 million, for SMK Rp 1.6 million– Rp 3.7 million and for extraordinary schools (SLB) Rp 3.5 million– Rp 7.9 million.

But instead of aiding small private schools, the BOS fund disbursement will be halted unless the schools are merged with other nearby schools so the number of students reaches more than 60. Yet this merger is not an easy matter, even more so for religion-based small private schools, such as merging Islamic schools with Catholic or Christian schools.

The assumption that schools with less than 60 students indicate that they are not trusted by the public or that their quality is inferior so they should not be assisted, is a mistaken notion.

Once again, it should be affirmed that the provision of basic education as per the Constitution is the responsibility of the government. The Alliance of Organizations of Educational Operation strives to support this. When a school lacks the required quality, it is the government’s obligation to foster schools with less than 60 students so their quality improves. Besides disbursing adequate funds, this also means assigning teachers with civil servant status and providing proper facilities.

Impact on dropout rate

Based on provisional data, of the 5,116 schools under the PGRI, about 500 have less than 60 students. Most of their students come from disadvantaged families. Yet school principals and teachers carry on their duties unreservedly, despite minimum salaries, because of their sense of responsibility and love of offering educational service to society.

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If schools close because of the reason of efficiency in the disbursement of government BOS funds, the risks appear before our eyes --the number of school dropouts will increase. Moving to other schools is not the best solution for many students when considering economic factors and geographic distance. The schools that have created services for these students should be promoted rather than eliminated.

Ironically, while small private school are suggested to merge and enhance their quality, schools with the status of motivators that are already advanced and established are allocated generous disbursement funds. In line with the Decree of the Dikbud Ristek Minister No.210/P/2021, motivating schools, apart from receiving Regular BOS funds, will also be granted Performance BOS funds and Affirmation BOS funds in significant amounts.

Are they considered main partners in providing education that should be assisted, or seen as parasites that must be eradicated?

It should then be questioned, what does the government actually expect from private schools? Are they considered main partners in providing education that should be assisted, or seen as parasites that must be eradicated?

The answers to these questions are important because many educational problems are yet to be handled. The Covid-19 Control Task Force, for instance, stated that on 20 July 2021, 11,045 children were orphaned because of Covid-19, left without one or both parents.

KOMPAS/AMBROSIUS HARTO

Photography Student Business Group shows their skills in the Double Track program at SMA Negeri 1 Berbek, Nganjuk, East Java, Friday (17/9/2021).

The loss of parents certainly deals a hard blow to them. These children who should enjoy protection and loving kindness as well as economic support for their lives, suddenly have to live without their parents. It is likely that their school activity is also disturbed. They need the helping hands and solidarity of us all to enable them to build the future ahead of them. They should be aided. At the same time, educational justice for disadvantaged students should also be sought.

Delaying policy implementation until 2022 as indicated by the Dikbud Ristek minister at the working meeting with Commission X of the House of Representatives, which oversees education, youth affairs, sports, tourism, creative economy, art and culture, on 8 September 2021 is not the best solution. The rule should be promptly revoked in favor of justice for students from disadvantaged families. There should no longer be discrimination against poor students.

ARSIP PRIBADI

Unifah Rosyidi

Unifah Rosyidi, General Chairperson, Central Board of Indonesian Teachers Association

(This article was translated by Aris Prawira).