Indonesian education an overview

Indonesia is an archipelago state comprising over 17,000 islands. The country is notable for its
geographic, socio-cultural and economic heterogeneity. Despite being the worlds fourth largest nation
in terms of population, in many locations Indonesia faces logistical, access and unit cost challenges to
educational delivery similar to those confronted by small island states.
The historical evolution of education in Indonesia is one of indigenous initiative and foreign influence.
Pre-colonial education was predominantly elitist and a male preserve. During the mid-17th century the
Dutch East Indies Company introduced limited public schooling while also utilising public funds to
support private schools, a practice that continues to this day both in Indonesia and the Netherlands. In
the following centuries the expansion of schooling was community-based (Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu,
Christian and ethnic Chinese). The Japanese occupation of Indonesia (19421945) saw the
introduction of mass education. The imposition of a unitary language of instruction and emphasis on
nationalism and service during this period is regarded as being influential on the future development of
the educational system.
Post-independence, in 1949, the focus of the Indonesian government turned to universal primary
education as articulated in the 1950 Basic Education Law. In response to growing demand
charitable foundations were established to meet the shortfall in government school provision. In 1989
the education law was revised and the basic education cycle expanded from six to nine years. From
the outset it was clear that logistical and financial challenges of expanding the basic education cycle
within a 10-year period were huge. Given the magnitude of the challenges it is perhaps not
coincidental that the 1989 Education Act was also the first to recognise formally the integral role of
private education in national education provision.