DKI Legislators Ask The Provincial Government To Announce Private Lists Entering Free School Programs

JAKARTA - Member of Commission E of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Anggi Arando Siregar, asked the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to immediately announce a list of private schools that are included in the free school program in Jakarta.

He emphasized that the new student admission system (SPMB) for the new academic year 2025/2026 is only a matter of months. It is predicted that it will start opening on May 20. So, the public can begin to know the target of the school to be intended for prospective new students.

"People will wait for the names of private schools that will be free of charge and what facilities will be obtained by students," Anggi told reporters, Thursday, March 13.

The DKI Jakarta DPRD, continued Anggi, will also form a special committee (pansus) for the Draft Regional Regulation (Raperda) on the Implementation of Education. This special committee will work to ensure that the free private school program is realized this year.

The special committee, which is filled by members of the council, will oversee the process of drafting a free school program mechanism which is being prepared by the DKI Jakarta Education Office.

"There are only a few months left for the admission of students. The DKI Education Office should have prepared all the devices and mechanisms to create free schools in DKI Jakarta," he said.

On the one hand, Anggo hopes that the free school program, if implemented, will be able to solve problems related to the proliferation of children having difficulty going to school because of the zoning system. Thus, private schools are an alternative so that all students in Jakarta have the right to education for 12 years.

"Hopefully the facilities are the same as those obtained with public schools," he said.

In preparation for the free school program, the DKI Provincial Government is still finalizing the academic paper for the revision of Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 8 of 2006 concerning the Implementation and Management of Education. This revision of the regional regulation is the legal umbrella for free schools which will run in the new academic year 2025/2026.

In the initial stage, the DKI Provincial Government will still conduct free school trials in 40 private schools. Regarding budgeting, Acting Head of the DKI Jakarta Education Office, Sarjoko, admitted that the DKI Provincial Government has not allocated a special budget for the free school program. It could be that the budget allocation is included in the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP) Plus program ceiling.

"One alternative (including the KJP budget). We can't confirm how the financing will be, but we encourage the procurement process to be completed first, then we will discuss the financing scheme again with TAPD," said Sarjoko.