A Critical Analysis of Education Accessibility and Relevance Policies in Indonesia: Post-Pandemic Challenges and the Era of Disruption
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Abstract
Education in Indonesia faces complex challenges regarding geographical disparities, economic inequality, and digital disruption, which intensified following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study critically analyzes the dynamics of educational accessibility and relevance, as well as the effectiveness of various government policies in Indonesia. Utilizing a library research design with a qualitative approach and inductive reasoning, this research systematically examines secondary literature. The analysis reveals that although various government initiatives—such as the Smart Indonesia Program (PIP), the School Zoning System, and the Independent Learning (Merdeka Belajar) policy—have expanded physical enrollment, their implementation suffers from significant structural disparities. Critical barriers remain, including limited digital infrastructure in remote areas, uneven teacher competence, and a persistent curriculum mismatch with the labor market demands of the disruption era. Consequently, expanding access has not directly translated into enhanced educational quality and relevance. The practical implication of these findings suggests that policymakers must shift focus from mere quantitative coverage toward building inclusive digital infrastructure and contextualizing curricula to meet regional and industrial needs
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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