A study implemented by Article 33 reveals that a student from a disadvantaged family tends to be in a low quality school. Conversely, a student from an advantaged family tends to be in a high quality school. The researcher of Article 33, Santoso, said that disadvantaged students tended to register at state schools, which are considered to be inferior or lower in quality than private schools.
From his research, Santoso stated that there were two factors that resulted in low access for the disadvantaged community to high quality education. The first factor is the education quality is not evenly distributed, based on the school accreditation status and the study result (National Exam result). The second factor relates to the mechanism of new student selection. The disadvantaged students who are low in terms of the academic quality will not find it easy to be accepted in the high quality school.
According to Santoso, through the mechanism of selection also being based on the level of academic capability, advantaged students will always be preferred at such high quality school. He said that the education should provide the chance for members of the disadvantaged community to expand their opportunities of reaching a higher economic level.
Indonesia has cooperated through the Program Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), DFAT- Australia for the last four years. KSI provides support toward the research implemented by Article 33 Indonesia. One of the research papers is entitled “Kualitas Pendidikan untuk Siapa? Studi tentang Kesenjangan Akses Masyarakat Miskin pada Pendidikan Berkulitas”, or in English, “For Whom the Quality Education? A Study concerning the Gap in Access for the Disadvantaged Community to High Quality Education”.
Article 33 Indonesia is a research institute for social change in the form of association. Article 33 focuses on the two types of operation, the first being to produce high quality knowledge, which is to support progressive policy based on the evidence. The second type is the advocacy of progressive policy, which continues the post-research work through supporting the process of establishment of relevant policy by the providing sound knowledge-based arguments and involving public participation.
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