Jakarta, July 18, 2025 - Quality Education for All ensures that every child receives quality education services. Through the special education services program, the government facilitates equal access to quality education regardless of children's social, economic, or geographic background.
Speaking at the “Casual Discussion on Special Education and Special Service Education” event, Friday (18/7), the Director General of Vocational Education, Special Education, and Special Service Education, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), Tatang Muttaqin, said that currently there are still school-age children who are not attending school (ATS) with various backgrounds, ranging from economic, social, to geographical, where they have difficulty reaching educational service facilities, such as children in the 3T (remote, frontier, outermost) areas.
Therefore, continued Director General Tatang, the scope of special education services, which is one of the duties of the Directorate of Special Education and Special Education Services (PKPLK), is to reach what has previously been unreachable and serve those who have not been served.
"For example, children of migrant workers, or those in 3T areas, border areas, children of indigenous tribes, and children who are victims of disasters, both natural and social," said Director General Tatang.
The government, Tatang continued, continues to strive to encourage universal participation to reach marginalized groups and children in the 3T areas through the involvement of local governments, education volunteers, community groups, and universities.
"We at the Directorate General of Vocational Education, Special Education, and Special Service Education through the Directorate of Special Education and Special Service Education then developed Distance Education (PJJ) at the secondary education level, which is one of the priority programs in the PKPLK Directorate," said Tatang.
Distance Education Roadmap (PJJ)
Tatang continued, saying that the government is currently preparing a roadmap for implementing the Distance Learning (PJJ) policy as a future solution to achieving quality education for all by providing the widest possible access for school-age children. This roadmap will outline the steps involved in implementing PJJ.
As an initial step, the government is preparing and developing information and communication technology infrastructure to support distance learning (PJJ). The government is also updating policies and regulations to support its implementation and increase public awareness and understanding of PJJ.
"In the near future, we will also conduct a trial of distance learning implementation at the Indonesian School of Kota Kinabalu (SIKK)," Director General Tatang added.
According to Tatang, SIKK was chosen for this distance learning (PJJ) trial because it is one of the Indonesian Schools Abroad (SILN) with the largest student population compared to the other 12 SILNs. SIKK also offers a full range of educational levels, from kindergarten through elementary school, middle school, high school, and vocational school.
In addition, SIKK is also the parent school for 225 Community Learning Centers (CLCs) with tens of thousands of students, both on and off the farm.
"These CLC students are the children of Indonesian migrant workers, such as palm oil plantation workers, plantation workers, construction workers, domestic workers, and so on," said Tatang.
CLC itself is an educational institution that was formed on the basis of initiatives from, by and for the local community, especially palm oil plantation companies, as well as local communities in Sabah-Sarawak and is supported and fostered by the Indonesian Government.
According to Tatang, currently many PMI children cannot continue their education for various reasons, ranging from limited capacity for high schools/vocational schools in SIKK, to not having residence permit documents and access to SIKK being too far.
"We hope this distance learning strategy can help our children in CLC and encourage dropouts to participate in distance learning," Tatang added.
Collaboration between the PKPLK Directorate and Educational Units to Implement Distance Learning (PJJ) Continues to be Improved
Meanwhile, the Director of PKPLK, Saryadi, said that following the PJJ implementation test conducted at SIKK, the plan is for PJJ to be gradually replicated in other schools, especially in the 3T areas.
The distance learning model for secondary schools being developed will be implemented using a blended learning system. Regarding the implementation of distance learning through the Open Distance Learning High School (SMA Terbuka Jarak Jauh) at SIKK (School for Open Distance Learning), the PKPLK Directorate will collaborate with SMAN 2 Padalarang to provide learning support, adaptive module development, and technical support and mentoring.
"We are also collaborating with the Open University to ensure the quality of the distance learning system and provide supervision, and with Seamolec to develop distance learning technology and improve teacher capacity," explained Saryadi.
Afifah Amro Amatulloh, an alumna of SMA Terbuka (Open High School), has experienced numerous benefits from the distance learning program offered at SMAN 2 Padalarang. The flexible study schedule allows Afifah ample time to develop her potential and pursue other positive activities.
"Distance education can support all Indonesian children to receive quality education, regardless of their background," said Afifah, who was accepted into a state university in Bandung, West Java.
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