Head of the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency (BP Taskin) Budiman Sudjatmiko emphasized that the ruling—a verdict resulting from a judicial review —is essentially relevant to the government's commitment to addressing poverty through human development, as outlined in its eight primary missions collectively known as the Asta Cita.
"In addition to being worthy of respect, this ruling is also politically relevant to the Asta Cita, particularly in terms of the government's commitment to enhancing human resource quality," he remarked in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Sudjatmiko emphasized that the MK ruling, which extends to madrasah (Islamic schools), should be implemented promptly to address limited access to education, mostly affecting children from economically disadvantaged families.
"This ruling is good news, especially since there are still many poor families that cannot afford education for their children in private schools," he remarked.
The above statement reflects a widespread practice in Indonesia, where private schools tend to charge higher tuition fees, while public schools—despite offering lower-cost or even free education—often require prospective students to go through more stringent admission processes.
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He then expressed optimism that the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education would identify ways to financially support private schools once the ruling is enforced.
"In essence, the MK fully supports the ruling," he concluded.
Earlier, on Tuesday (May 27), MK Chief Justice Suhartoyo announced the ruling as a verdict on a judicial review of Law No. 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System, filed by an education observer coalition and three housewives.
Judge Enny Nurbaningsih explained that Article 34, paragraph (2), was ambiguous, leading the government to interpret it as requiring free basic education only in public schools.
The MK concluded that this interpretation conflicts with the 1945 Constitution.
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Translator: M. Riezko, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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