Good News From Surabaya, Public And Private Schools Will Be Equalized

Mayor of Surabaya Eri Cahyadi. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Mayor of Surabaya, Eri Cahyadi, has prepared various strategies in realizing equality between public and private schools in the City of Heroes.

Eri Cahyadi said that his party is trying to make private schools in Surabaya better.

"This equality is also aimed at eliminating the stigma of differences between public and private schools," he said as quoted by Antara, Saturday, April 16.

Therefore, he said, his party also refers to the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture (Permendikbud) No. 22 of 2016. The Permendikbud has regulated the number of study groups in each SMP/MTs (junior high) school to a maximum of 32 students with 11 classrooms.

"So there should be a maximum of 11 classes and a maximum of 32 students. Now, the rest of the students who are not accommodated in public schools must enter the private sector," he said.

However, he said, when it was accommodated in private schools and it was still insufficient, then the Surabaya City Government would take over. Therefore, he continued, gradually the need for private schools would be equalized with those of the state. Whether it is pursued through assistance from the government or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

"It must be the same (public and private schools). But I hope that there will be no more schools that may be newly established but expect help from the government. These are the old schools that I want to adopt so that they are reduced again," he said.

Therefore, Eri also invited schools in Surabaya to work together to maintain the quality of their education, both in terms of the quality of education in schools and their teaching staff. So that in the future it is hoped that there will be no more differences between public and private schools.

"How can the state and the private sector be balanced, especially the quality of the teachers," he said.

It does not rule out, according to Eri, in the future certification of schools in Surabaya will be carried out, both certification for public and private educational institutions and their teachers.

"So that later we will certify, not only public schools but also private schools. Everything must be certified. This is what we will do with the Ministry of Education because the goal is shared (equalization)," he said.

Currently, Eri has instructed the Surabaya City Education Office (Dispendik) to record the number of certified schools. In fact, certification data collection was also carried out together with the teachers.

"We will do as much as possible this year or in the next year everything has been certified," he said.

However, he continued, his party would facilitate the certification. If the certification process does not pass, it then becomes the responsibility of each of these educational institutions.

"At least we have conducted the test course. But if it does not pass, it is not our fault. But we have done our certification obligations for everything," he said.