DKI Provincial Government Ensures 63 Private Schools to Enter Free School Program This Year

JAKARTA - Head of the DKI Jakarta Education Office Nahdiana ensures that the DKI Provincial Government will add dozens of private schools that are included in the free private school program. Previously, this program has been running since 2025.

"There are 63 schools that we will add. Right, initially 40 schools, now, the number is 103," Nahdiana told reporters, Friday, February 27.

Nahdiana revealed that private schools that are prioritized to enter the free private school program are educational units with grades C and D. So, it is ensured that elite private schools will not enter the program.

The addition of 63 free private schools will begin in the 2026/2027 school year.

"If the 40 is already in 2025. The school year starts in July, so it will end in June. Start again in July 2026. So this 103 will start in July 2026," said Nahdiana.

Previously, the Head of the DKI Jakarta Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) Atika Nur Rahmania. Atika admitted that there was a reduction in the target for the addition of free schools this year. In August 2025, the DKI Provincial Government set a target for the program to be able to target 258 private schools.

The reduction in this target is due to the reduction in transfer funds to the regions (TKD) from the central government which includes revenue sharing funds (DBH) of up to Rp. 15 trillion.

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Where, initially, the DKI Jakarta Regional Budget for 2026 was planned to touch around Rp. 95 trillion. However, due to the decrease in the value of transfer funds, the Regional Budget was reduced to only Rp. 81.3 trillion. The DKI Provincial Government was also forced to reduce the budget ceiling for a number of programs carried out this year.

"That is indeed from the plan of 250 free schools, because there is a significant reduction in DBH, of course we have to rationalize the number. So the factor is indeed because of the reduction in income from DBH," said Atika.