This edition of Education Brief aims to examine the issue of equitable access to schooling in Indonesia and to map a range of policy strategies to address this challenge in the years ahead. Building on earlier discussions of equity presented in the Education Brief edition “Policy Recommendations for Equitable and Quality Education” (Felicia et al., 2023), equity in this publication is understood as the fulfillment of every child’s right, as a citizen, to access quality education without barriers arising from family background, socioeconomic status, disability, or geographic location.

This conceptualization also draws on the perspective of YB Mangunwijaya (Asmarani, 2018), who emphasized justice as the fulfillment of children’s educational rights in Indonesia. Social injustice emerges when unequal opportunities exist among citizens in accessing quality schooling.

This Education Brief presents an overview of the structural and policy-related factors contributing to inequitable access to education in Indonesia and offers policy recommendations to promote more just, inclusive, and affordable schooling systems in the future.

Disclaimer
This Education Brief reflects the perspectives of researchers from Center for Education and Policy Studies (PSPK), based on literature reviews and PSPK’s direct engagement in examining issues of equitable access to schooling in Indonesia. The document may be cited, disseminated, and used for non-commercial purposes with appropriate attribution.