The House of Representatives (DPR) is initiating amendments to the National Education System Law (Sisdiknas Law), a move considered essential to align educational policies with current challenges and developments.
However, this initiative also raises significant questions regarding public representation in the drafting process and several other issues that have not escaped attention.
Agustina Kustulasari, an education policy expert from the Department of Public Policy and Management, UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM), stated that ideal educational policies must adopt both democratic and technocratic approaches.
The democratic approach prioritizes the voice of the public, while the technocratic approach relies on expert knowledge.
Given that the Sisdiknas Law will have a long-term impact on the national education system, DPR members and the government need to consider both approaches.
“Revising the Sisdiknas Law is an immensely challenging task, and the approach taken is crucial because it can significantly increase the potential for successful policy implementation,” Kustulasari said on Monday (Mar. 17).
Among the various points in the draft law, Kustulasari highlighted the plan for centralizing teacher management, which she believes requires further review.
With the country’s vast diversity, decentralization appears more logical since local governments better understand the conditions and needs of teachers in their regions.
However, decentralization also brings challenges, particularly in terms of standardizing the quality of education.
“The choice is not simply between centralization or decentralization, but determining what should be managed centrally and what would be more effectively handled by local governments,” she continued.
A flexible policy mechanism with a feedback system between central and local governments is crucial to ensure optimal policy implementation.
Additionally, Kustulasari identified one of the biggest challenges as the plan to codify the eight existing education policies to achieve better synchronization.
Although she acknowledges this task is highly demanding, she understands that the goal of synchronization is well-intentioned.
“The primary goal is good, which is to reduce regulatory contradictions, making policy implementation more effective. What is needed is to minimize inconsistencies between regulations through codification,” Kustulasari explained.
Nevertheless, she cautioned policymakers not to get caught up in fleeting trends without considering the long-term impact.
For her, a law must address fundamental needs, not merely respond to trending issues. She also emphasized the importance of remaining critical of various global indicators, such as PISA results.
While they provide valuable information, she argued that such data should not be the sole indicator of the quality of education in Indonesia.
From a public involvement perspective, Kustulasari asserted that public participation in the policy-making process can be achieved if DPR listens to and understands the people’s needs, especially through direct consultations with constituents.
In fact, DPR members should align with conditions on the ground, such as efforts to ensure equitable access to education, particularly in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged (3T) regions.
“DPR plays a role as the people’s representative, so the more critical question is to what extent the DPR members involved truly represent the voices of their constituents,” she said.
Kustulasari believes the new law should consider existing achievements and build research-based strategies rather than merely focusing on criticizing current shortcomings.
Amid frequent leadership changes, she also emphasized the importance of designing a law with a broad narrative that is not easily influenced by political dynamics.
“The Sisdiknas Law must have a level of abstraction that allows for adaptation without losing its core direction. Even with leadership changes, policies should still be implemented well while anticipating how the bill will be interpreted with future changes,” she stated.
Kustulasari expressed her hope that the new Sisdiknas Law will not disregard past achievements but rather use them as lessons.
Moreover, she underscored the importance of developing an educational projection for Indonesia towards 2045.
“We need to consider how our education system can support the vision of a Golden Indonesia 2045 with a realistic approach, addressing the root of the problems,” she concluded.
Author: Bolivia
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Image: Freepik