The City of Surakarta has made significant steps for education, by allocating 20% budget for education. Yet, the bulk of the budget goes to teachers’ salary and allowance, and physical construction of junior high school buildings. There are a number if breakthroughs that accompany such initiatives, and equally significant issues to address – i.e. recruitment of new junior high school students based on academic performance, which remains unresolved (on the basis of academic performance in city and district schools).
Another issue is the high number of drop-out students and students not going to school which needs serious attention. Without it, the issue would become a time bomb. 2004 data shows that there are 204 of these children. Thee 2023 Education Agency data shows that there are 251 children not going to school (per June data), while the number is 114 children in 2024. The MPPS spokesperson, Pardoyo reveals this during a hearing with the Parliament Commission IV, at Budgeting Building Surakarta, on Monday (17/2).
The urgent issue in education in Surakarta City is the high number of bullying at 60%. Yayasan Kakak notes that 30% of 4,139 students from 46 schools surveyed experience sexual violence (roadshow, cited from suarakeadilan.org). Shoim Sahriyati (Yayasan Kakak) highlights during the hearing how teachers show sympathy while listening to parents. “It seems like schools need to prepare for the issue because so far they believe that the issue is a minor issue. They think mental health is not important in schools,” says Shoim during hearing, moderated by Afiq, in front of seven Commission IV members, 70 community representatives – from NGOs, youth organisations, School Committees, and Himpaudi.
Commission IV Preparing Draft City Regulation on Early Education and Asking for Inputs for Mid-term Development Plan
Fresh breath of air is coming. This is with regards to the education law in Surakarta City, where Parliament’s Commission IV is preparing drat city regulation for early education that hopefully would provide more protection to teachers. Communities also voice their ideas about policy revision – re. a ban on the use of mobile phones at elementary and junior high schools. An equally critical point is whether the revision of regulation will attract inputs from all parties.
The chairperson of Commission IV, Sugeng Riyanto says that the Parliament needs plenty of things for evidence-based practices for the preparation of mid-term development plan for the next five years.(Ast)
