Education is the right of Every Jakarta Child!

Educational inequality in Jakarta

About a third of the Indonesian population is under the age of 18. Consequently, Indonesia’s education system is one of the largest in the world, with over 60 million current students and 5 million teachers and other staff employed in the sector. Unesco reports that, despite its size, many inequalities persist in the Indonesian education system. A child’s access to education still strongly depends on their location of residence, parent’s income and, less so, gender. A 2025 study, furthermore, highlighted that the educational achievement of school-attending children of lower socioeconomic position is hindered by shortages in educational materials. Inadequate classrooms and damaged facilities also contribute to an uneven quality of education in peripheral and densely populated areas.

Most of these educational inequalities exist because of school mismanagement and institutional failure. Parents across Jakarta report that schools charge ‘voluntary donations’ that in reality function as compulsory payments. These illegal fees are not spent for the benefit of students, but are used to buy cleaning equipment and other supplies that are already budgeted for in school operational assistance programs (BOS/BOP) by the national government. While some students have been sent home during examinations because their parents could not afford these additional expenses, others have faced social consequences like bullying. Additionally, the data system that the government uses to verify which parents may receive financial assistance for education (KJP) is outdated and slow, leaving families who meet eligibility criteria without aid or certainty. The local government in Jakarta has failed to address complaints and repeatedly redirects dissatisfied citizens to other agencies, leaving their problems unresolved.

A protest for the right to education

JARI PENA (Indonesian Volunteer Network for National Education) was founded in 2024 with the aim of protecting the right to education for all Indonesian citizens, working mainly with working-class communities in poor urban areas and remote regions. Through solidarity, volunteer work, and community organizing, JARI PENA aims to build an education system that is democratic, critical, and truly serves the people. The organization offers free studying spaces and hosts tutoring sessions, but also commits itself to advocacy in the public discussion and helps students at risk of dropping out by speaking up against illegal fees and discrimination at their schools. 

With the support of Het Actiefonds, JARI PENA organized a protest in January 2026 to give a platform to victims of unfair education policy and submit three clear demands to the Jakarta Provincial Government. The protestors demanded the elimination of all school fees that burden low-income families, the acceleration and expansion of educational financial support, as well as the improvement of appeal mechanisms and the curbing of increasing commercialization of private schools. Participants wore masks as a symbol of the government’s inability to listen.

Although there was no immediate policy response, JARI PENA will use the personal experiences shared at the protest to request follow-up meetings with government officials and keep combining street actions with online campaigns to increase public pressure for an improved education system. Het Actiefonds is proud to have supported this action, and will continue to stand in solidarity with efforts to attain education equality around the world!