Her 6-year-old daughter Jasmine will enter elementary school in July next year, and she decided from early on to send her to a private school she believes will suit her idea of a good education.

“There are certainly some basic differences in the teaching system between state and private schools, which — based on my own observations — heavily lie on the attention they pay to their students, curriculum, teaching techniques and facilities,” Dwi said on Thursday.

In terms of attention to students, she said, private schools were more capable than state schools, which was one striking aspect parents who wished to send their children to a smaller school should consider.

“With fewer students in class, insya Allah [God willing], the lessons can be more effective as there would be more attention given to students, who can then concentrate more in class,” Dwi added.

For that reason, Dwi conceded that she would not hesitate to pay more money on school registration fees as well as the monthly tuition, even though the Indonesian government provides nine years of compulsory education for free.

The private Islamic elementary school in West Jakarta in which she plans to enroll her daughter, for instance, will cost her Rp 30 million (US$2,131) in registration fees and about Rp 1.2 million per month for tuition.

"We see that many private schools are better than state schools in terms of facilities and teaching system as well as their disciplinary practice and the quality of teachers.”

Therefore, she started preparing her daughter for her admissions test months prior to the registration period for the 2020-2021 school year.

“The test will take place in January next year and usually includes memorizing short Qur’an surah [chapter], reading iqro [Arabic letters and pronunciation textbook], recognizing numbers and letters, drawing and basic English skills,” Dwi explained.

Meanwhile, Erin, a member of the parent association of a private Christian school in Kalideres, West Jakarta, has been busy preparing for the reregistration of her third-grade son in January next year.

“It cost millions to register my kid to this school about three years ago, and now that he is going to enter fourth grade, we are trying our best that he stays in this school,” Erin said.

She added that besides being close to her home, the school provided quality of education that she and her husband approved of.

“We see that many private schools are better than state schools in terms of facilities and teaching system as well as their disciplinary practice and the quality of teachers,” Erin claimed. 

Despite such a stance on private schools, however, many urban parents agree that the decision on which type of school to send their children should be made in accordance with the individual priority and capacity of the family. 

Ahmad Ramdani, an online motorcycle taxi driver from Palmerah in West Jakarta said two of his daughters were now preparing to enroll in state schools, one in elementary and one in high school. 

While private schools are known for their flexible curriculum, facilities and smaller classes, the perks of attending a state school lie in their state-certified teachers and most importantly, for families like Ahmad’s, their affordability.

“I’m putting them in state schools because I understand my needs badly depend on my lifestyle. I set a target of earning Rp 150,000 a day and it barely makes ends meet,” said the 51-year-old.

According to the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) education researcher Anggi Afriansyah, full-day private schools have become a popular choice among financially capable urban families as they answer their personal requirements for an ideal education for children.

“Because of working long hours, parents dream of a school that provides a safe space for their children all day,” said Anggi. “This is then coupled with other things, like a curriculum that pays attention to global needs such as lessons on IT [information technology] and a variety of foreign languages.”

The head of the Jakarta Education Agency’s data center unit, Suharno, said more students were enrolled in state schools in the capital than in private schools simply because there were more of the former to choose from.

The agency’s latest records, he said, showed that 72.05 percent of newly enrolled elementary school students, 57.99 percent of newly enrolled junior high students and 52.43 percent newly enrolled high students attend state schools.

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