Govt promotes three major steps to reduce out-of-school children

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is promoting three major steps that regional governments must take to reduce the rates of out-of-school children.

The ministry's Secretary General, Suharti, in a webinar on remote learning to address out-of-school children on Friday, invited regional leaders and authorities to turn the return of out-of-school children into a collective effort.

She explained that the first step that must be taken is setting reduction targets for out-of-school children in each region.

To achieve this, Suharti noted that every province should know and maintain updated data on the distribution of out-of-school children, their backgrounds, and the specific factors keeping them from formal education.

“This is not just Indonesia's concern, ladies and gentlemen; addressing the issue of out-of-school children is a global commitment, through both UNESCO and ASEAN member states," she said.

This commitment is reflected in the formation of working groups tasked with tackling various issues related to out-of-school numbers.

For the second step, she urged regional governments to launch an outreach movement involving educational institutions, village governments, communities, and families to locate and engage out-of-school children, bringing them back into formal education.

As for the third step, Suharti instructed regional governments to evaluate and ensure that children who return to the formal classroom do not drop out again down the line.

“Because our success is measured not just by how many children we can serve, but by our ability to ensure they keep learning, complete their education, and achieve a brighter future,” she stressed.

According to data from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the number of out-of-school children in Indonesia stood at 3,966,858 as of April 1, 2026.

Of the total, 1,913,633 children have never attended school, 986,755 have dropped out, and 1,066,470 graduated but did not continue their education.

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Translator: Hana Dewi, Raka Adji

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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