The Loss of the Essence of State Schools Due to Private Schools

Nowadays, more parents choose to enrol their children in private elementary schools rather than public ones. This causes the essence of public schools to be lost, and every year new student enrolment at public schools declines. This problem is occurring in several public elementary schools in Kudus Regency, Central Java Province. In recent years, public elementary schools in  Kudus Regency have seen a decline in applicants. In contrast, private elementary schools in Kudus Regency have seen a surge in applicants, even exceeding their capacity.

This problem is caused by factors such as, the first, a decline in the number of school-age children. Based on Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture (Permendikbud) Number 1 of 2021, which sets the age limit for entering elementary school in the 2024 New Student Admission (PPDB), prospective new grade 1 students are prioritised if they are 7 years old or at least 6 years old as of 1 July of the current year. The second is parents' preference for enrolling their children in private elementary schools whose school facilities are more advanced and complete. The third is that a school's location far from home, or a school located in a remote and underdeveloped area, becomes a consideration for parents in deciding whether to enrol their child there. Another consideration is concern that facilities and infrastructure are hard to reach.

The best step currently taken by the Kudus Regency Office of Education, Youth and Sports is to regroup public elementary schools. Elementary school regrouping is a programme that aims to improve learning objectives and the quality of education, as well as to make education budgets more efficient and schools more effective. It is hoped that the number of study groups (rombel) in a school can be balanced according to capacity, with efficiency in maintaining facilities and infrastructure, budget allocation, and teacher management in classroom teaching.

This regrouping programme is quite beneficial in improving the quality of education, empowering teaching resources more fully, and allowing the school community to use facilities and infrastructure (sarpras) more optimally. Regrouping does need to be carried out soon, before the next school year. If it is carried out with careful planning and involves the relevant parties, elementary school regrouping can be a positive step. However, several challenges may arise after regrouping has been carried out. The first is adjustment to the new learning environment, for both teachers and students. Teachers and students alike need time to adapt to a new environment, a new school and a larger group of learning peers. Also, the curriculum and culture of the old school and the new school are certain to differ.  

The second is the difference in travel distance. Before regrouping, the distance between home and school may have been only a few kilometres. After the two schools are merged, the distance from home to the new school may become far. The third is resistance from the community, some of whom may reject this regrouping programme. This may be due to the obstacles already mentioned, concern among the community and parents that their children will not be able to socialise with new friends, and the increasing distance from home.