Commission E Pushes for Evaluation of Free Private School Program

Jakarta City Council (DPRD) Commission E Chairman M. Subki urged the Jakarta Education Agency to ensure the Free Private School (SSG) program operates effectively, stays on target, and avoids any misuse.

No additional fees or financial burdens imposed on residents under the program

Subki made the statement during discussions on the 2027 Regional Government Work Plan (RKPD) with the Jakarta Education Agency.

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According to him, most proposals submitted during Commission E's recess activities had been accommodated by the agency, which he described as positive news because residents' aspirations could be followed up by the Jakarta Provincial Government.

“Today's discussion was quite encouraging because the Education Agency conveyed that most of the recess proposals had been accommodated. This is good news for Commission E members because public aspirations are being heard,” Subki said on Monday (5/25).

He added that several new school buildings had been prepared and would soon begin operating to support public education needs.

In addition, Subki emphasized the importance of strict monitoring and evaluation of the SSG program to ensure its implementation runs smoothly and without issues on the ground.

“We are asking for strict monitoring of the SSG implementation so there will be no disorder or irregularities at the ground level. We want this program to be truly free,” he said.

He hopes there will be no additional fees or financial burdens imposed on residents under the program.

On the other hand, Subki also called for greater attention to private madrasahs to prevent disparities with the free private school program. According to him, the Jakarta Provincial Government could allocate grants to private madrasahs as part of efforts to create more balanced educational support.

“We want to see balance. At the very least, if there are already 103 free private schools, private madrasahs should also receive assistance so they are not left behind,” he stated.

Subki said such measures are important to prevent students from transferring from madrasahs to free private schools due to differences in education costs.

Furthermore, Commission E asked the Education Agency to study the possibility of allocating a budget for a free private madrasah program while still considering the region's fiscal capacity.

However, Subki noted that there are currently no plans to increase the number of free private schools in the 2027 RKPD. According to him, every policy must take regional financial conditions into account.

“We also have to consider the region's financial capacity. It would not be appropriate to keep increasing demands while financial capabilities remain limited,” he asserted.