Govt prepares concept for integrated excellent schools

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has begun preparing the concept for Integrated Excellent Schools following President Prabowo Subianto’s directive during a recent Cabinet Plenary Session.

Although the ministry has not yet received direct instructions from the President, initial steps in drafting the concept have already started.

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti explained that during the Cabinet session, President Prabowo instructed Kemendikdasmen to design a concept for non-boarding Integrated Excellent Schools.

He said that even though the program will not be implemented immediately, the ministry’s team has started formulating its conceptual framework.

“We have not yet received direct instructions since the program will not start soon. However, we will continue developing the concept,” Mu’ti said during the Kemendikdasmen One-Year Media Briefing at Plaza Insan Berprestasi, Building A of the Kemendikdasmen Office, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday evening.

According to Mu’ti, the general direction of the school’s development is already clear.

The Integrated Excellent Schools are expected to combine three education levels - elementary, junior high, and senior high - within a single educational area. The program will be implemented gradually, with a target of establishing at least one school in each sub-district.

He added that while detailed technical discussions have not yet taken place, Kemendikdasmen has started reviewing and comparing several existing school models that apply a similar approach.

One such example is the Integrated Excellent School built by the Samarinda City Government, which uses the Cambridge curriculum and is equipped with ideal educational facilities and infrastructure.

“At this stage, we have informally reviewed several existing models. For instance, last month I visited Samarinda, East Kalimantan, where the city government has already built an Integrated Excellent School,” Mu’ti said.

Regarding the possibility of utilizing schools with a small number of students as part of the Integrated Excellent School plan, Mu’ti stated that the matter is still under discussion.

The same applies to the potential provision of land and infrastructure by local governments, which has not yet been discussed in detail.

“That issue has not been discussed yet. Our current focus is on preparing the curriculum, teacher recruitment, and other academic aspects. Technical matters such as land provision and facilities will likely be discussed at a later stage,” he added.

Earlier, on Monday (October 20), President Prabowo announced during the Cabinet Plenary Session that around 7,000 Integrated Excellent Schools would be built starting in 2026.

The initiative aims to expand access to quality education and ensure equal learning opportunities across Indonesia.

The President also plans to form a special inter-ministerial task force to prepare the development of these schools in every sub-district.

“I have asked the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, along with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, and possibly other ministries, to establish a special task force to study the development of integrated schools in every sub-district,” President Prabowo said.

Through this program, the government seeks to promote equitable access to quality and integrated education, establishing a strong foundation for enhancing Indonesia’s human resource development nationwide.

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sumber : antara