Lecturer of law from Universitas Tanjungpura, Endah Rantau Itasari, has observed 11 problems related to the fulfillment of right of education by government in border areas of West kalimantan from 2005-2007. These include “areas not wanting schooling” at primary and secondary level in Sambas, Bengkayang, Sanggau, Sintang, and Kapuas Hulu.
She said this was because of special factors such as the lack of facilities and infrastructure, envy due to different facilities available in neighbouring countries, geographical factor, and low budget for education.
“The emergence of the problem is relevant to be studied scientifically in terms of regulation, policy, programme, and budget allocation,” she said at Faculty of Law UGM on Monday (30/7) in her doctoral promotion.
According to Itasari, the state has the duty to ensure the provision of education system and curriculum, scholarship, facilities and infrastructure, and improving the quality of teachers and lecturers.
In terms of legislation, despite the Law No 20 Year 2003 on National Education System, there has yet to be bylaws on primary and secondary education in border areas. Still, Law No 23 Year 2014 on Regional Government states that education is the affairs to be administered by the central government.
“As such, regions do not put this issue into their regional legislations. On the other hand, current government policy prioritises education for people in the border areas,” she said.
Itasari found that technical, geographical, and implementation factors of regulations are not synchronised, which should have been the determinant factors for fulfilling the right of basic and secondary education in border areas of West Kalimantan.
“These factors pose opportunities and challenges in the field that are different from their normative regulations and these factors are different from those in other regions,” she said.