Hidden inequality in Indonesia’s new university accreditation system
Do we measure the quality of education or the institution’s ability to prove quality?
Indonesia's new university accreditation system, Higher Education Accreditation Instrument 4.1 (IAPT 4.1), is designed to evaluate universities based on quality culture, relevance, accountability, and mission differentiation. This marks a shift from a more traditional, seasonal accreditation process. The reform, outlined in Regulation No. 39/2025, integrates internal quality assurance with external accreditation into a single quality cycle.
It also calls for the judicious use of national higher education data in the accreditation process. The new Online Higher Education Accreditation System, SAPTO 2.0, is a web-based platform synchronized with quantitative data from national portals. Universities are required to maintain up-to-date records on their lecturers, students, programs, research, publications, community service, and institutional achievements.
This data-driven approach aims to guide daily decision-making. However, the reform raises the question: are we measuring the quality of education or a university's ability to demonstrate quality? The source notes that a university serving first-generation students in a remote province might receive a lower accreditation score than a well-resourced institution in Jakarta, even if the former produces more socially impactful graduates.
This discrepancy highlights a potential loophole in the new system. The accreditation process should ideally reflect the true educational quality provided to students, not just the institution's ability to present its achievements.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
