Heaptalk, Jakarta — To address the limited capacity of public schools, the Tangerang City Government plans to add more learning groups and build new school buildings.
Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the PKS faction, Abdul Fikri Faqih, appreciated the steps taken by the Tangerang City Government to improve the quality of education. He emphasized the importance of balancing the development of public and private schools, ensuring that these efforts do not harm private schools.
“The addition of buildings or learning groups is due to shortages, and we certainly support the efforts of the City Government. However, this addition should not suppress private schools, but I think the City Government has been very wise, as private schools are also being encouraged by receiving free school assistance,” Abdul said in Tangerang City recently.
Abdul noted that the Tangerang City Government is not only focusing on the development of educational infrastructure but also on improving the quality of education through its human resources. “Whether the curriculum works or not depends on the teachers. Here, the teachers receive quite extraordinary attention and are even encouraged to become government employees with employment agreements, which are being transitioned to state civil servants. We appreciate the efforts made by the City Government,” he concluded.
On the same occasion, the Acting Mayor of Tangerang, Dr. Nurdin, stated that the City Government continues to make various efforts to improve the quality of education in Tangerang City. “We thank you for choosing Tangerang City as the locus of a specific visit by the DPR RI related to education in Tangerang City,” he said.
Furthermore, one of the main focuses of the Tangerang City Government is to address the capacity shortage in public schools. He explained, “Currently, the capacity of public schools in Tangerang City is only 32%. Out of 30,800 elementary school graduates in Tangerang City, only about 10,800 can be accommodated in public junior high schools. To address this, the Tangerang City Government is implementing two strategies: adding learning groups in existing public schools and building new schools in areas that do not yet have accessible public schools.”
In addition, the Tangerang City Government also provides subsidies to private schools to help children who are not accommodated in public schools. “This program allows these children to receive free education in quality private schools,” he said.
Nurdin also mentioned that the city has made efforts to improve the quality of education in Tangerang City, including early childhood education. He added, “Currently, the City Government has five public kindergartens. Next year, we aim for each district in Tangerang City to have one public kindergarten.”
In addition to infrastructure, the Tangerang City Government also provides guidance and training to teachers, including Islamic religious education teachers. “These efforts are expected to provide wider and better-quality access to education for all children in Tangerang City,” Nurdin concluded.