By: Siska Maharani )*
Equitable access to quality education is one of the government’s strategic agendas to strengthen the quality of national human resources. Amidst the challenges of disparities in education quality between regions, the government has introduced Garuda Schools as an instrument of educational transformation designed to open broader opportunities for all children to receive a superior education.
The Garuda School program demonstrates that national education development is not only focused on expanding access, but also places quality as a top priority that must be enjoyed equally.
Garuda School is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s Fastest Best Results Program and is also part of the education transformation strategy towards Golden Indonesia 2045. The presence of this superior boarding school program shows that the government places human resource development as a national priority agenda.
The government’s focus is not only on expanding access to superior education, but also on preparing Indonesia’s young generation to be able to enter the world’s best universities and compete at the global level.
Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, places the development of superior human resources as the foundation for successful national development. Within this framework,
Garuda School is positioned as an international-standard educational ecosystem designed to prepare future leaders by strengthening academic quality, character, and global competitiveness. This perspective reflects the government’s policy direction, which considers education a long-term strategic investment.
Brian views Garuda School as not simply providing a superior school, but rather as building a system that allows the best potential of students from diverse backgrounds to develop optimally. An internationally standardized curriculum, adequate learning facilities, and the support of qualified teaching staff are part of the design that strengthens the equitable distribution of educational quality. Through this approach, the government strives to ensure that superior educational quality is not concentrated in certain regions.
The commitment to equity is further strengthened through the provision of full funding for students through state scholarships. This policy emphasizes that access to superior education is not determined by economic circumstances, but by students’ potential, achievements, and capacities. This step demonstrates the government’s commitment to educational equity as a key foundation in the development of Garuda Schools.
The government’s commitment is also reinforced through significant budgetary support. The government, through the State Budget (APBN), has allocated Rp 2 trillion for the Garuda School program, including Rp 1 trillion allocated as an endowment fund to ensure the program’s sustainability. This policy demonstrates that Garuda School is not a short-term program, but rather is designed to be a foundation for sustainable, superior education.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Stella Christie explained the importance of endowment funds as a tool for maintaining program sustainability. This perspective reinforces the government’s focus not only on initial development but also on developing financing schemes that ensure the program’s quality and expansion. In the context of educational equity, sustainability is crucial for ensuring program benefits are felt across generations.
The urgency of this program is even more relevant considering the challenges facing the quality of national human resources. Human Capital Index data, which shows that the average Indonesian student is only utilizing a portion of their full potential, provides a crucial basis for the need for more progressive educational interventions. Garuda School exists to address these challenges by strengthening the quality of learning, developing student potential, and expanding access to superior education.
On the other hand, the New Garuda School is a strategy to expand educational equity by building schools from scratch in disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost regions, as well as areas with limited access to superior education. This approach emphasizes that equity is at the heart of government policy. Quality education is not only strengthened in developed regions but also expanded to areas that have historically needed greater intervention.
The government’s target of developing 80 Garuda Transformation Schools and building 20 New Garuda Schools by 2029 demonstrates a measurable and progressive agenda. This target demonstrates that the program is not limited but is continuously expanded to reach more regions. This policy also emphasizes that equitable education quality is implemented through systematic steps.
The implementation of the Garuda Transformation School in East Kalimantan demonstrates how the concept works in practice. Armin, Acting Head of the East Kalimantan Education and Culture Office, explained that the program has driven improvements in educational quality while also positively impacting other schools. This ripple effect indicates that government policies are not partial but rather promote systemic change.
The program’s impact is evident in the growth of a stronger academic culture, improved student achievement, and the development of a healthy competitive atmosphere. The introduction of a fully English-language international class at State Senior High School 10 Samarinda is a breakthrough demonstrating the government’s commitment to elevating national education standards to global standards.
The success of Garuda School students in East Kalimantan in entering global universities reinforces the effectiveness of this policy. This achievement demonstrates that the government’s educational transformation is not merely conceptual but produces measurable outcomes. The planned expansion of the program to other schools also demonstrates the government’s commitment to sustainably broadening the impact of educational transformation.
Garuda School ultimately demonstrates that equitable access to quality education is not merely a normative agenda, but is realized through concrete, measurable policies. By strengthening access, inclusive financing, improving learning quality, expanding to underserved and remote areas (3T), and developing a superior education ecosystem, the government demonstrates a strong commitment to building a more equitable, advanced, and globally competitive national education system.
*) Public Policy Analyst
