Jakarta Promotes Inclusive Education Through Free Private Schools

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Jakarta Provincial Government continues to promote education that is not only inclusive, but also of high quality. It is through the Free Private School Program or Sekolah Swasta Gratis, which allows students to attend participating private schools without paying tuition fees.

Head of the Subgroup for Standardization and Development of Programs and Budget at the Jakarta Provincial Education Office, Meidinta Rindatania, said the program aims to ensure that quality education can be accessed by more children in Jakarta.

“The Free Private School Program, or Sekolah Swasta Gratis, is the Jakarta Provincial Government’s initiative that allows students to attend participating private schools without paying any tuition,” Meidinta said in an interview with RRI Voice of Indonesia on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

According to her, all education-related costs including registration fees, monthly tuition, books, and other learning needs are covered by the Jakarta Provincial Government.

“All the expenses have been covered by the Jakarta government. The books, the teacher’s fee, the admission fee, and all costs related to the education aspects in private schools are fully covered in this program. So the parents and the children pay nothing,” she said.

She further explained that the program prioritizes private schools located in areas that do not yet have public schools, giving communities more options for accessing education.

“The program itself also deliberately prioritizes private schools located in sub-districts, where the government doesn’t operate a public school, thus the children have more options for their education and hopefully minimize the access gap of education,” she said.

Meidinta also affirmed that regulations for participating private schools will be regularly reviewed to maintain education quality.

“For the quality of education that delivers, every school that wishes to remain in the program of Sekolah Swasta Gratis is reassessed each year according to the regulations that apply. So the school that doesn’t meet the requirements doesn’t receive the funding allocation at maximum level,” she said.

Currently, 103 private schools from elementary level to special education institutions are participating in the program. Registration is conducted through the Student Admission System (SPMB), which opened on June 15, 2026.

Through this program, the Jakarta Provincial Government aims to make education in Jakarta more inclusive and accessible to all segments of society.

“Our ultimate hope is to make education in Jakarta more inclusive for all. So besides the free private school program, we have other programs like KJP, KJMU, and SPMB Bersama that all share a strong mission to make education more inclusive in Jakarta,” Meidinta said.