Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Education in Indonesia - statistics & facts
With more than 52 million students, three million teachers, and 400 thousand schools, Indonesia has one of the largest education systems globally. Along with steadily increasing budget for education over the years, the Indonesian government aims to develop a world-class education system with a focus on using the latest technologies. Today, the main challenge for the Indonesian education system is no longer solely about improving its access, but also enhancing its quality.
While most Indonesian primary schools are public, more than half of the high schools and 96 percent of the universities are private. Public schools in Indonesia are normally free of charge. When compared to international schools, Indonesian private schools can be more affordable, with school fees starting at around 15 million Indonesian rupiah per year. In comparison, fees for a mid-range international school usually start at 50 million Indonesian rupiah. In recent years, the market for international education qualifications has been growing in the nation, and Indonesia is among the countries with the highest numbers of English-language international schools in the ASEAN region.
On the other side, ensuring equal access to education remains one of the main challenges in Indonesia's educational landscape. Disparities are still found between urban and rural areas in terms of students' access to the internet, and higher dropout rates are also found in Indonesian rural areas. Furthermore, there are significant imbalances in pupil-to-teacher ratios among different provinces across the archipelago. Coupled with persisting concerns regarding teacher welfare, these challenges impact the overall quality of education in the country. Given Indonesia's young population and the country’s golden vision to become a top-five economy by 2045, addressing these issues becomes crucial, as education stands as a foundation to accelerate national development.
The education system in Indonesia
Indonesians are required to complete twelve years of compulsory education, including six years of elementary education and three years each of lower-secondary and upper-secondary education. Students who complete lower secondary education can enroll in either senior high school or vocational schools.While most Indonesian primary schools are public, more than half of the high schools and 96 percent of the universities are private. Public schools in Indonesia are normally free of charge. When compared to international schools, Indonesian private schools can be more affordable, with school fees starting at around 15 million Indonesian rupiah per year. In comparison, fees for a mid-range international school usually start at 50 million Indonesian rupiah. In recent years, the market for international education qualifications has been growing in the nation, and Indonesia is among the countries with the highest numbers of English-language international schools in the ASEAN region.
Challenges in Indonesia’s education system
Although the leading universities in Indonesia are dominated by state universities, for many Indonesians, the tuition fees are still relatively high. Since 2012, the government has started a scholarship program called LPDP to support Indonesian students who are accepted into either the leading national universities or the world's best-ranked universities. This initiative was taken to give Indonesians a chance to have a better quality of education, hence improving the quality of the country’s human resources. The number of Indonesians studying abroad has increased since then.On the other side, ensuring equal access to education remains one of the main challenges in Indonesia's educational landscape. Disparities are still found between urban and rural areas in terms of students' access to the internet, and higher dropout rates are also found in Indonesian rural areas. Furthermore, there are significant imbalances in pupil-to-teacher ratios among different provinces across the archipelago. Coupled with persisting concerns regarding teacher welfare, these challenges impact the overall quality of education in the country. Given Indonesia's young population and the country’s golden vision to become a top-five economy by 2045, addressing these issues becomes crucial, as education stands as a foundation to accelerate national development.
