{
  "id": 9435974,
  "title": "Learning first",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/learning-first",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T23:06:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Jakarta Post",
    "slug": "the-jakarta-post",
    "url": "https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/09/24/learning-first.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indonesia's education system has made modest gains, but much work remains to ensure children are truly learning. While the country's 15-year-olds showed slight improvements in reading and science scores in the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, the gains are not significant enough to celebrate. In reading, proficiency levels reached only 27 percent, far below the OECD average of 69 percent. In math, just 17 percent of students reached the baseline Level 2 proficiency, compared to 65 percent globally. In science, the gap was even wider, with just 37 percent of Indonesian students reaching the required proficiency compared to 74 percent globally.\n\nThese results highlight the urgent need to focus on ensuring budget stability to support children's learning. Indonesia has made progress in expanding access to education, with nearly all 15-year-olds now enrolled in formal education. This was achieved through sustained investment and policy continuity, including the nine-year compulsory schooling mandate and the establishment of quality and equity initiatives. The 2005 Teacher Law, which introduced certification to boost professional standards and compensation, along with financial assistance programs like the Smart Indonesia Program and Onward Indonesia Scholarship, helped keep vulnerable students in school.\n\nHowever, these achievements do not justify easing up. The success of Indonesia's education system underscores the importance of continued investment and policy consistency. The country must double down on its efforts to improve educational outcomes, particularly in areas where it lags behind global standards. Only by addressing these challenges can Indonesia hope to join the elite group of nations known for their high-quality education systems.",
  "summary": "Indonesia has succeeded in filling its classrooms—now it must protect its budget to ensure its children are actually learning.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}