Indonesia: Government Provides Free Education for Papuan Students
By : Yohanes Wenda )*
The Government of the Republic of Indonesia provides free education for all people in the country without exception and without discrimination, especially for those from Papua to remote areas in the area nicknamed the Earth of Cenderawasih. This is of course proof of the state’s presence in advancing human resources.
Free education is indeed a right that all people should be able to receive without exception, moreover it is enshrined in the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, which requires the state to be able to provide education to all its people without exception, especially the less fortunate. and those who live in remote areas.
Therefore, for indigenous Papuans, assistance from the government in providing free education, without any costs, is certainly an incomparable blessing, because it will make their next generation even more qualified and competitive as a result of this excellent education.
One concrete manifestation of the government’s efforts to provide free and equitable education, even to indigenous Papuans (OAP), is the financial support for the Affirmation of Secondary Education Scholarship (ADEM) in the area nicknamed Little Heaven that Fell to Earth.
The government provides scholarships through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology. A recipient of a free education program from the government, Yulion Mirin, has a dream that it is not only limited to empowering himself, but can have a positive impact on the lives of all children who are in difficult situations. .
The state is present in ensuring that all parties, the next generation of this nation, are able to have access to much higher education even though they have financial limitations.
In 2023, the government has provided scholarships to 7,614 students from Papua, special regions or 3T (disadvantaged, frontier and outermost) as well as children of repatriates or migrant workers through the Higher Education Affirmation Program (ADik).
Of the total, 1,321 people or around 17.35 percent of them were students who graduated from Affirmation of Secondary Education (ADEM) from Bumi Cenderawasih. Then for those from the 3T area, there are 1,931 students.
Through the Ministry of Education and Culture, Research and Technology, the government is implementing this free education program with the aim of increasing equality through expanding access and learning opportunities in Higher Education, especially for students from the Papua Region, 3T areas and children of migrant workers in the border areas of the Republic of Indonesia.
The existence of the education affirmation program is a very strategic step from the government to provide decent and quality education. According to the Secretary of the Papua Mountain Province Education Service, Ginas Kogoya, the existence of this program clearly provides opportunities for all children in the 3T area.
The educational affirmation programs include Affirmation of Secondary Education (ADEM) and Affirmation of Higher Education (ADIK). With this educational assistance, it is possible for the young generation to succeed Papua’s future hopes to be more enthusiastic and have a strong determination to be able to turn challenges into opportunities.
The Papua Mountain Province Education Service then expressed its gratitude for the full support and dedication of all parties, especially the government, in supporting the education affirmation program.
The existence of cooperation and collaboration in providing a good educational environment in order to create quality and competitive human resources (HR) in Papua is indeed very important.
For all indigenous Papuans (OAP), the government continues to give its full attention as a form of direct state presence to the people, especially to address issues regarding educational equality by providing free access to education.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bandung
