President Jokowi: Improve Equity in Education

The President accompanied by Vice President led a limited meeting on the status of universities, at the Presidential Office, Jakarta (6/11)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo led a limited meeting on change of status of private universities to state universities, at the Presidential Office, Jakarta (6/1). At the beginning of his remarks, President Jokowi said that the process to change the status of 29 private universities to state universities have started since 2010 or 5 years ago.

Considering there are indeed still many problems on the nationalization of the universities, the Government has done moratorium of the universities’ change of status. “Since 1 August 2013 and at the limited meeting on 29 June 2015, the Government decided to extend the moratorium,” the President said.

Based on President Jokowi analysis, this is a good policy because it will improve equity in education in Indonesia, particularly in frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped areas.

“I asked the Minister of Technology, Research and Higher Education to explain the development of the current problems,” the President asked. The problems, according to the President are related to the area, asset availability, and the handover of the status of 4,300 lecturers and employees.

Attending the limited meeting were Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Minister  of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform Yuddy Chrisnandi, Minister of Technology, Research and Higher Education Muhammad Nasir, Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, Minister of Health Nila Moeloek, Minister of National Development Planning (PPN)/ the Head of National Development Planning Agency Sofyan Djalil, and Deputy Finance Minister Mardiasmo. (DID/DND/JAY/OJI/EN)(RAS/MMD/YM/Naster)