This special edition of KILAS contains rapid assessments conducted by the PSPK research team to respond to emerging ideas and discussions on education surrounding the government transition, beginning in the pre-election period (October 2023). Accordingly, the topics covered in this series of policy briefs are highly diverse, ranging from strategies to ensure affordable access to education, strategies to improve teachers’ welfare and competencies, efforts to enhance the quality of higher education, to the free school lunch policy.

This context also explains why, in this special edition of KILAS, PSPK still uses the policy term “Free Lunch”, as the policy briefs were written at a time when the term in use was “Free Lunch,” not yet “Free Nutritious Lunch.”

The studies presented in this special edition of KILAS are intended to complement the arguments developed in the PSPK Education Policy Recommendations 2025–2029 document in a more detailed and comprehensive manner, based on specific ideas and proposals. For example, the policy on elite or flagship schools is not discussed in detail in the Education Policy Recommendations document, yet it represents an important idea that merits further analysis and advocacy to ensure that the policy truly achieves its intended objectives.

PSPK chose to respond to these ideas and proposals because we assess that the policies presented have the potential to generate significant impacts on the education system. PSPK also uses this policy feedback opportunity to introduce new ideas and concepts, such as the proposal of National Public Schools (Sekolah Negeri Nasional) as one of the strategies to fulfill the mission of completing 13 years of compulsory education.

Read more: “Special Edition Education Brief: A Collection of PSPK Policy Briefs” here:

In this special edition of KILAS, PSPK publishes 23 policy briefs, written using specific principles—primarily to ensure the effective and efficient communication of core policy recommendations to relevant stakeholders. As a result, unlike previous editions of KILAS, PSPK presents key policy points in a concise yet substantive manner, supported by data that are directly relevant to the issues being advocated.

In addition, PSPK maintains the inclusivity of these policy briefs, with the intention that the narratives can be understood by readers from diverse backgrounds. The analytical framework of these policy briefs explicitly advocates for the principle of equity in education policy, whereby recommended policies should deliver the greatest possible benefits to all Indonesian children, regardless of their backgrounds. For example, in recommending the implementation of flagship schools, PSPK proposes fair and accessible student selection mechanisms to ensure that academically gifted children from lower socio-economic backgrounds and/or children with disabilities have equal opportunities to enroll in such schools.

PSPK’s policy briefs have contributed to shaping the discourse on education policymaking and are expected to continue doing so in the future. Previously, PSPK consistently and iteratively recommended a more flexible in-service Teacher Professional Education (PPG Dalam Jabatan) scheme to reduce the backlog of teachers who have yet to participate in the program—a recommendation also elaborated in the Education Policy Recommendations 2025–2029, which have been discussed with relevant stakeholders since October 2023. Several of PSPK’s recommendations align with PPG-related policies that have since been formally adopted. Other recommendations presented in PSPK’s policy briefs remain under discussion among policymakers, and it is hoped that the publication of this special edition of KILAS PENDIDIKAN will serve as a reference for stakeholders involved in relevant policy planning processes.