Early Childhood Care and Education in Indonesia

Speaking of Indonesia’s investment in ECD, the Section for Early Childhood and Inclusive Education Division of Basic Education of the UNESCO Education Sector came up with a Policy Review Report of Early Childhood Care and Education in Indonesia in January 1995 as part of their Early Childhood and Family Policy Series.

A copy of the report in English and Indonesian may be obtained online. A search through the UNESCO library portal will also give some related documents: An earlier national case study report, and ECCE in South East Asia.

Some notes:

• The major access gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children in Indonesia lies in their access to early childhood educational services.
  
• The current participation level for educational early childhood services is 8%.
  In 2003 the total expenditure for early childhood care and education was only 0.55% of the education budget.
  
• The absence of public investment remains a major obstacle to bridging the access gap between the disadvantage and the advantaged.
  If Indonesia is serious about long-term social development, social cohesion, poverty alleviation and economic growth, it must consider making a greater investment in early childhood services.
  
• Considering that serving poor children is one of the best ways to maximize the benefits of investment in early childhood, public investment directed mainly to the poor is a doubly sound policy option for making the best use of exiting resources.
  
• As many as eight ministries and government offices with their own early childhood services co-exist: The Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Family Welfare and Empowerment Team, and the National Family Planning Coordination Board.
  
• Different ministries and government agencies plan policy with no apparent coordination.