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Digital divide in focus as Nadiem begins G20 spell
The Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry has said that COVID-19 has exposed Indonesia’s deeply rooted problem of unequal access to quality education.
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Students of SD 010 Batam Kota state elementary school in Batam, Riau Islands, attend school in person on Jan. 10. Authorities have allowed schools to welcome back their students, provided they have low COVID-19 transmission. (Antara/Teguh Prihatna)
The government has vowed to address Indonesia’s perennial education problems, such as the lack of equal access to digital technology and high-quality education, which have only been exacerbated by a COVID-19 pandemic that has forced many schoolchildren online.
The country has for the longest time put education funding on a pedestal, with a regular allotment of 20 percent of the state budget mandated by the 1945 Constitution. For 2022, the government’s entire education budget stands at Rp 541.7 trillion (US$37.9 billion).
However, efforts to evenly develop the sector across the archipelago have been less than ideal, in spite of the funds, given the size of the population and the geographical challenges of infrastructure building.
But now, buoyed by its role of presiding over the Group of 20 biggest economies, as well as the potential still offered by its young demographic dividend, Indonesia says that now is “the right moment” for countries to work together to improve education as a way to recover from the pandemic.
Kick-starting the nation’s G20 activities in the education sector, the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry has said that COVID-19 has further exposed Indonesia’s deeply rooted problems.
As a result of the nation’s wide digital divide, for instance, students, especially those in vulnerable communities and impoverished population groups, have been facing the brunt of cognitive learning loss, said Anindito Aditomo, cochair of the G20 Education Working Group (EdWG).
“Inequality in education has actually been around for a long time. The pandemic has opened our eyes to the fact that education is in crisis, and we must deal with this together,” he said during a kickoff event on Wednesday.
