Free Schools in Jakarta will Be Implemented Gradually

The Jakarta City Council hopes the executive will soon implement free schools in Jakarta gradually.

Priority for free schools is in areas with many underprivileged residents and no public schools

Jakarta City Council Vice Chief, Ima Mahdiah said his party hoped that free schools could be realized gradually along with the establishment of the Special Committee (Pansus) for the Draft Bylaw (Raperda) on the Implementation of Education on Wednesday (3/12) yesterday.

"Free schools are being implemented gradually, due to financial conditions. We need to be able to distribute what was originally the KJP assistance gradually," she expressed, Thursday (3/13).

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She said Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung had also agreed to a free school trial to be implemented in 40 private schools starting in the 2025-2026 academic year.

"Priority for free schools is in areas with many underprivileged residents and no public schools," she explained.

She admitted she had discussed the implementation of free schools with Jakarta Education Agency (disdik) which will start in the 2025-2026 academic year.

"There are already school locations being prepared for free education. The Governor will announce further details," she added.

As information, the Jakarta City Council Commission E for 2019-2024 period, together with the Jakarta Government, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of free schools on August 23, 2024.

This program is a concrete manifestation of the Jakarta Government's seriousness in meeting children's right to receive 12 years of education following the mandate of Bylaw Number 8/2006 on Education System.

Disdik will also collaborate with 2,900 private schools from the levels of Elementary School (SD), Junior High School (SMP), and Senior High School (SMA), to work together to succeed in the free school program.