By: Nadifa Yolanda )*
Efforts to improve the quality and equity of education in Indonesia are entering an important phase through the discussion of the Draft Law on the National Education System (RUU Sisdiknas). This step is not only part of the national legislative agenda, but also as an implementation of the government’s priority agenda for the increasingly complex world of education. In a situation where global challenges, technological developments, and demands for inclusivity continue to increase, the RUU Sisdiknas is a strategic foundation for creating an adaptive, equitable, and integrated education system.
One of the main focuses of this revision is to eliminate overlapping regulations that have often hampered the effectiveness of education policies. For more than two decades, the national education system has been running with various separate and not entirely harmonious regulations. This situation has created regulatory confusion and has had a direct impact on the world of education, both in terms of institutional management, curriculum, and recognition of educators.
Member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Dewi Coryati, firmly stated that a comprehensive revision of the National Education System Law must be carried out in line with the harmonization of other education laws, such as the Higher Education Law, the Teachers and Lecturers Law, and the Islamic Boarding School Law. The codification approach planned in the revision process allows the unification of these various provisions into one systematic legal framework, making it easier for the public to understand their rights and obligations in the education sector.
More than just a policy reform, the National Education System Bill is also present as an instrument of social justice in education. The attention given to non-formal educators, such as PAUD teachers from the community pathway, is concrete evidence that this revision can expand the reach of the state’s attention. Recognition of the contribution of educators from non-formal pathways as an integral part of the national education ecosystem is an important milestone in creating an inclusive system.
The issue of inclusivity is also one of the main dimensions fought for in this bill. Education is not an exclusive right of a certain group, but a basic right of all citizens without exception. Therefore, Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives encourages the revision of the National Education System Law to not only focus on structural and administrative aspects, but also on the dimension of equalizing access to education to remote areas and marginalized groups.
Perhatian terhadap rekonstruksi pembiayaan pendidikan pun menjadi topik yang tak kalah krusial. Anggota Komisi X DPR RI, Sabam Sinaga, menyoroti putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi terkait pembebasan biaya pendidikan di sekolah swasta sebagai momentum penting untuk mereformulasi skema pendanaan pendidikan. Keputusan MK tersebut membuka ruang diskusi luas tentang bagaimana negara seharusnya hadir secara adil dalam menjamin biaya pendidikan yang terjangkau bagi seluruh masyarakat.
Sabam juga mengangkat persoalan distribusi anggaran pendidikan yang tidak merata. Meskipun secara nominal sektor pendidikan menerima 20 persen alokasi dari APBN, realitas di lapangan menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar dana tersebut tersebar di luar kementerian teknis, sehingga tidak langsung berdampak pada peningkatan mutu pendidikan di sekolah-sekolah maupun perguruan tinggi. Ketimpangan ini bahkan terlihat mencolok di level pendidikan tinggi, di mana dana yang digelontorkan untuk mahasiswa di kementerian non-pendidikan bisa 13 kali lipat lebih besar dibanding mahasiswa di PTN atau PTS.
Situasi ini menjadi pengingat penting bahwa penyusunan RUU Sisdiknas harus dilakukan secara komprehensif, menyentuh aspek struktural hingga teknis, termasuk reformasi sistem anggaran pendidikan yang berpihak pada peningkatan kualitas dan keadilan akses. Pertanyaan yang dilontarkan Sabam Sinaga mengenai urgensi keberadaan lembaga pendidikan tinggi yang diselenggarakan oleh kementerian non-pendidikan juga patut menjadi perhatian dalam proses revisi. Rasionalisasi terhadap institusi pendidikan yang tumpang tindih dengan fungsi lembaga lain akan mendorong efisiensi anggaran serta konsistensi kebijakan pendidikan.
Selain itu, pendidikan karakter, teknologi digital, dan penyesuaian kurikulum juga harus mendapat porsi penting dalam rancangan undang-undang ini. Era disrupsi digital menuntut pendidikan yang mampu mencetak generasi adaptif, kreatif, dan mampu berpikir kritis. Oleh karena itu, penyusunan RUU Sisdiknas juga harus berorientasi ke depan, tidak hanya memperbaiki apa yang sudah ada, tetapi juga mengantisipasi kebutuhan masa depan.
Kunjungan kerja Panitia Kerja (Panja) RUU Sisdiknas ke berbagai daerah, seperti Balai Penjamin Mutu Pendidikan (BPMP) Yogyakarta, Kalimantan Timur, dan Jambi, mencerminkan semangat partisipatif dalam proses legislasi. Komisi X DPR RI ingin memastikan bahwa aspirasi dari berbagai wilayah di Indonesia, termasuk masukan dari pemangku kepentingan lokal, menjadi bagian dari rumusan akhir undang-undang. Dengan demikian, produk hukum yang dihasilkan benar-benar merepresentasikan kebutuhan nasional secara utuh.
The National Education System Bill is not only about education, but also about the future of the nation. Through this draft, the Indonesian House of Representatives wants to ensure that every Indonesian citizen has equal access to quality education. The national education system resulting from this revision process is expected to be able to create a superior generation that is not only academically intelligent, but also mature in character and ready to contribute to building the country.
)* The author is a Public Policy Observer
