Supporting educational reform policies in Indonesia

Decision-maker’s challenge

Indonesia is set to transition to a new administration next month. Over the past five years, the current administration has made significant strides in advancing education, notably through the introduction of the Merdeka Curriculum. This streamlined curriculum reduces the learning load to focus on essential content to better facilitate student-centered learning.

The Ministry also revamped its approach to the school transformation program to ensure more equitable access to education. Unlike previous initiatives that primarily supported ‘elite schools’ with better resources and outcomes, the current program selects schools based on the principals’ commitment to transformation. This shift has broadened the program’s reach, bringing in a wider range of schools with varying levels of quality. Given Indonesia’s decentralized education system, the administration has also prioritized stronger engagement with local governments to ensure the sustainability of these transformations through institutionalization at the provincial and district levels.

Impact opportunity

The Centre for Education Standard and Policy (PSKP) is crafting its five-year strategy to set a clear vision, mission, and research priorities for the next administration. A crucial part of this process involves reviewing past research on key Ministry of Education programs to identify gaps, track progress, and draw insights—especially for initiatives aimed at improving student learning outcomes.

By situating PSKP’s research within the broader educational landscape, this review can effectively guide key decision-makers in the Ministry of Education to prioritize impactful programs. PSKP’s findings will not only drive program enhancements but also inform future evaluation efforts across the ministry.

Our approach

IDinsight’s learning partnership with PSKP (Center for Education Standards and Policies) in Indonesia has focused on three key education reform programs: the Merdeka Curriculum, the Sekolah Penggerak (School Transformation) Program, and a vocational school transformation initiative.

1. Merdeka Curriculum: Launched in 2022, this curriculum emphasizes improving student competencies and character development. It incorporates differentiated learning, baseline assessments, and project-based learning through the Pancasila Learner Profile (P5). The review, conducted by IDinsight and PSKP, highlighted progress in professional development and collaborative curriculum design. However, it also recommended centralized support in areas requiring more structured intervention, particularly for schools with less readiness.
2. Sekolah Penggerak (School Transformation) Program: This initiative seeks to transform schools by building leadership, improving teaching quality, and fostering a student-centered learning environment. IDinsight’s evaluation focused on how this program promotes long-term sustainable improvements in education. While the initiative shows promise, the evidence review suggests that additional resources and guidance are needed to ensure broader success.
3. Vocational School Transformation: This program aims to align vocational education with industry needs and better prepare students for the workforce. The review emphasizes enhancing training quality, aligning curriculum with market demands, and improving industry partnerships to strengthen employment outcomes for graduates.

The results

Together, these initiatives aim to create a more inclusive and effective educational landscape in Indonesia, with data and evidence provided by IDinsight to guide improvements and inform policy decisions.