EFA in Indonesia: Hard Lessons About Quality Indonesia has seen vast improvements in access to education over the past thirty years. It is a good example of a country that has followed a disciplined linear approach to EFA: Indonesia focused first on primary school access, next on lower secondary school access, and is only now attempting to address key policy issues to improve learning outcomes. However, many long- established precedents that have a negative impact on quality are proving very hard to change. Indonesia's struggles to improve quality demonstrate the importance of tackling such issues from the very beginning, as initial efforts are put in place to expand access. May 2003 Education Achievements dents were awarded scholarships on the basis of financial need, and 104,609 schools received grants Public Spending on Basic Education (billions of constant 2000 Rupiah) designated for use on teaching materials, building Using oil windfall funds in the mid 1970s, the 25,000 maintenance, and fee waivers for poor families. Government of Indonesia launched a major program External assistance also played a key role in funding 20,000 of primary school construction and teacher recruit- the junior secondary scholarships and grants provided ment and deployment. Primary enrollment rose from under SGP. In 1999/2000, 1.64 million junior second- 15,000 13.1 million in 1973/74 to 26.4 million in 1986/87 ary students were awarded scholarships. and 28.7 million in 2001. Net enrollment has 10,000 remained above 90% since 1986. In 1989, Indonesia announced a program to achieve universal basic edu- Quality Concerns 5,000 cation (9 years) by 2010. Junior secondary enrollment increased from 1.5 million in 1973/74 to 6.1 million 0 in 1986/87 and 9.4 million in 2001. The Indonesia school system is characterized by star- 89/90 90/91 91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 2000 tling contradictions. It has seen great gains in primary 12 mos. In the past decade, Indonesia has also achieved and lower secondary enrollment as a result of strong Total Preschool and Primary School Junior Secondary School greater equity among different income levels. In political will, but educational quality remains very low. 1993, the overall primary net enrollment ratio was The school year in Grades 3-6 is among the longest in 91%, including 87% in the poorest quintile and 93% the world (over 1400 hours annually for single shift size is quite modest, largely because of inefficient procedures, all potentially affecting service delivery in the richest quintile. In 2000, overall primary net classrooms), but the potential impact of this extraor- use of teachers and principals, but current practices and quality. Looking beyond the immediate horizon, enrollment stood at 93%, with a gap of only 1% dinary effort is lost in part because the school year have become deeply entrenched and are not easy to there is a substantial risk that downsizing administra- between the poorest and richest quintiles. At the in Grades 1 and 2 is among the shortest in the change. The result is that almost no resources are tive units could result in key education functions that junior secondary level the net enrollment ratio almost world (under 500 hours annually in most cases). available for quality inputs and textbooks, reading are neither technically efficient nor cost effective. doubled in the poorest quintile over the 1990's, while Government is increasing the intake level of teachers books, and other teaching and learning materials it increased by only a few percentage points in the to the equivalent of a bachelors' degree, but signifi- are in short supply. richest quintile over the same period. cantly decreasing the average salary level. And finally, it does a good job of providing fee waivers for poor Education expansion was supported by significant children but has ceased to provide free textbooks, Lessons Learned growth in public outlays between the late 1980s and meaning that these children often attend school The Challenge of Government the mid 1990s. Spending rose annually by 15.9% in under very disadvantaged circumstances. These con- Where EFA programs fail to place a coherent qual- current prices and 7% in constant prices, while the tradictions have risen in part because an ineffective Restructuring ity-access package in place from the start, compet- share of education in overall expenditures increased quality improvement package, and because many ing pressures (such as the demand for lower by almost 25% between 1989/90 and 1996/97. The quality strengthening steps that were introduced in Indonesia faces the additional challenge of maintain- secondary enrollments) make it difficult to perform share of government education outlays in GDP donor-supported projects were never integrated ing and improving education under a new decentral- a "quality retrofitting" at a later date. remained low but unchanged at about 1.8 percent in within the program. ized system. Decentralization, which was launched in this period of strong economic growth. In per student January 2001, has far-reaching implications for Timely donor support during economic crisis can terms, real spending at the primary and junior sec- Indonesian children rank consistently at or near Indonesia's costly but under-performing education make the difference in sustaining past gains and ondary levels increased by roughly 75% and 25% bottom compared to other countries in the region. system. The new paradigm makes autonomous dis- strengthening commitment to, and progress respectively during this interval. The quality of primary education may have been fur- trict governments accountable for education and toward, EFA goals. ther compromised when Indonesia moved ahead holds the potential of better matching educational During the 1997 economic crisis, Indonesia moved arguably prematurely with a second phase of EFA, services and needs. While piloting ways of improving learning out- aggressively to protect enrollments for primary and junior secondary, in the late 1980s. The economic comes is useful, such approaches must be inte- junior secondary schooling, with strong donor sup- crisis beginning in 1997 further weakened the coun- On the other hand, there is a risk that such a dra- grated into a broader school improvement port. The share of donor support doubled during the try's ability to increase financing for quality enhance- matic reorganization of government will be disruptive strategy, and designed to go to scale. crisis. Donors also provided more than half of the ment; the scholarship program designed to in the short run. Possible effects include withdrawal financing for a Scholarships and Grants Program attenuate the equity impact of the crisis focused of support previously earmarked for the poor and Quality enhancement is unlikely to occur via the (SGP). In 1999/2000, 1.79 million primary school stu- almost solely on maintaining access. Average class lapses in reporting, accountability, and quality control "campaign"-style mechanisms frequently Education in Indonesia Socio-Economic Indicators: Education Indicators: Population (millions) 210 Adult illiteracy rate total (female/male) 13% (18/8) Percent below poverty line 27% Primary gross enrollment rate GNP per capita US$ 570 total (female/male) 114% (110/115) IDA/IBRD IBRD Primary completion rate 91% PRSP No Secondary gross enrollment rate total (female/male) 56% (51/60) HIPC No Tertiary gross enrollment rate total (female/male) 11% (8/15) Total education spending as % of GDP (1997) 1.8% employed by central governments, but instead does not deteriorate even further in the near term. need consistent local commitment to strengthen The quality gap is being addressed in the context of and monitor learning processes. the transition to decentralization. Key issues include how to: (i) enable communities to participate mean- Prior to implementing decentralization, it is desir- ingfully in education management, (ii) assure the avail- able for responsibilities and objectives, including ability and effective use of textbooks and other equity and quality, to be carefully negotiated and teaching and learning materials, (iii) empower local clearly delineated. authorities to develop management partnerships involving provinces, districts and autonomous schools and their governing committees, (iv) rationalize frag- mented and rigid budgetary processes and ensure Remaining Challenges transparency; and (v) create an incentive structure that rewards good teaching and effective school manage- Indonesia must now focus on the unfinished agenda ment and addresses the uneven allocation of teachers of learning quality. It must also ensure that quality across schools. This note series is intended to summarize lessons learned and key policy findings on the World Bank's work in education. The views expressed in these notes are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank. For additional copies of Education Notes, please contact the Education Advisory Service by email at eservice@worldbank.org or visit the web site: http://www.worldbank.org/education/