CRPD
Rights Tracker
Reports
(Art. 24) Education
(Art. 24) Education
List of Issue
Please provide information on:
The numbers of children with disabilities in inclusive schools, those in
special schools and those not in any form of education, disaggregated by impairment, sex and age;
The efforts made to provide accessible material, an adaptive learning environment and sufficient individualized accommodation for students with disabilities at all levels;
The level of financial and human resources allocated to inclusive education, in particular the training of teachers on Braille and sign language interpretation and other specialist services to improve the quality of inclusive education, particularly in rural areas.
Alternative Reports
DPOs Coalition Report (OHANA)
Indonesian Law has guaranteed the right to education for all, including for persons with disabilities. Ministerial Regulation No. 70 of 2009 concerning Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities and Those with Intellectual Potential and/or Special Talents provides opportunities for children with special needs to obtain education in regular schools. This Ministerial Regulation mandates that district/city governments appoint at least one primary school and one junior secondary school in every sub-district. However, after almost 10 years of this Regulation being implemented, the number of PwD enrolled in schools has not increased significantly.
National Survey Data in 2009 showed that disability participation was still very low, namely for the age group 7-12 years, the net enrollment rate (NER) for persons with disabilities was only 46.32 percent, the 13-15 age group was only 29.75 percent, and the 16-18 age group was only 16.91 percent. In 2015, data from the Disability Law Working Group stated that out of approximately 21 million persons with disabilities in Indonesia, only 12 percent or 2.5 million of them were attending school. Meanwhile, the 2018 Basic Education Data (Dapodik) of the Ministry of Education and Culture recorded 91,000 children with special needs in inclusive schools.
Disparity in school participation between persons with disabilities and those without disabilities still occurs. Based on Education Statistics 2018, the percentage of the population aged 5 years and above with disabilities who are still in school is only 5.48% (out of a total of approximately 1.6 million children, according to BPS 2017). This percentage is far from the population without disabilities, which reaches 25.83%. Persons with disabilities who have not or have never attended school at all reach 23.91%. Meanwhile, the population aged 5 years and above without disabilities who have not attended school is only 6.17%. In addition, persons with disabilities who are no longer attending school are 70.62%.
Inclusive Education. The limited number of Special Needs Schools (SLB) and the potential for SLBs to be discriminatory encouraged the Indonesian government to adopt an inclusive education policy regulated in Minister of National Education Regulation No. 70 of 2009. This Ministerial Regulation regulates various aspects of inclusive education: the availability of inclusive schools (at least one in every sub-district), the provision of resources and infrastructure, curriculum provision, provision of experts up to evaluation. This Regulation mandates a minimum of 1 inclusive primary/junior secondary school in every sub-district and 1 inclusive senior secondary school at the district/city level.
In practice, there are several obstacles and challenges in the implementation of inclusive schools, including:
Rejection of Children with Special Needs (ABK) in regular schools is generally because the schools assume that ABK are incapable (of attending school or following lessons there). Without the need for assessment, this assumption is only based on the visible physical and sensory condition of the prospective students. Some schools even set a certain IQ level as a requirement for acceptance as a student, even though that test is very difficult for those with intellectual disabilities. Besides the assumption of incapability, a more subtle reason given by the schools is generally that they feel they do not have supporting infrastructure or that companion teachers are unavailable.
Ministerial Regulation 70 or the Standard Protocol (owned by some regions) have not been well socialized and the limited number of inclusive schools. Not all sub-districts in Indonesia have inclusive schools. The number of schools that have received assistance or been designated as inclusive schools was 31,724 schools in 2017 (compared to the total number of sub-districts across Indonesia, which is around 7,000).
The policy has not changed the mindset of the community and education providers so that inclusive principles and culture have not been fully implemented in the teaching and learning process. Students with disabilities in inclusive schools continue to be marginalized, and rejection from schools still frequently occurs, including discrimination, stigma, bullying, and other forms of violence.
Educational facilities and infrastructure, both in the form of physical accessibility in schools and learning tools and media appropriate to the learning needs of students with disabilities, are not yet available. The Ministry of Education has also not carried out comprehensive Curriculum modification, so students use the school curriculum without modification or use the Special Needs School (SLB) curriculum.
The most frequently reported problem is the limited number of teachers in Inclusive schools. The current practice is that inclusive teachers—often known as Special Companion Teachers (GPK)—are "borrowed" from the SLB with a working schedule of only twice a week. This time is certainly far from sufficient, considering that many classroom teachers are not yet willing to "interact" with students with disabilities, so when the GPK is absent, the students are not involved in learning.
School fees that must be paid by parents. Information provided by autism parent associations and WKCP (Cerebral Palsy Family Forum) indicates that the cost of special companion teachers (GPK) in many public and private schools is charged to the students' parents, while government GPKs in inclusive schools only handle students with specific learning difficulties, such as slow learners, not severe disabilities. Also, typically, at least in Yogyakarta, Surakarta (Central Java), Makassar (South Sulawesi), according to DPOs monitoring, this cost is borne by the parents, amounting to 1.5 million to 3 million rupiah per month.
Special Education, Special Needs School (SLB). Special Education provided through Special Needs Schools (SLB) is still the main service for students with disabilities and receives higher funding from the government compared to inclusive education. According to BPS, in 2018 there were only about 2,000 SLBs across Indonesia, which is one-third of the total number of sub-districts across Indonesia, which is around 7,000. This means there is only 1 SLB for every 3 sub-districts.
However, the quality of learning in Special Needs Schools needs to be improved both in academic and vocational aspects, which are expected to prepare students for the world of work. Some problems that frequently arise in special education are:
The curriculum is very rarely updated, or more precisely, new curriculum changes such as the 2013 curriculum are not always followed by modifications for SLB. The preparation of the IEP (Individualized Education Program) that every student should have is not always carried out by the school. Responding to Paragraph 143 of the Indonesian Government's Initial Report, SLB C, for example, the curriculum standard provided by the government is very low. The curriculum for primary to senior secondary levels uses the curriculum used by Early Childhood Education (PAUD) up to the 4th grade of primary school.
Understanding of the rights of children with disabilities and appropriate methods for students with disabilities in public schools or SLBs is still very lacking. This implies that practices of both physical and sexual violence are still found. For example, GERKATIN (Indonesian Deaf Welfare Movement) notes that in almost all SLBs, deaf students are forced to use oral language while sign language culture is not recognized by the school and is even prohibited. This is done, in part, due to the lack of human resources (teachers) who can use sign language.
Skills or vocational training are important aspects of education in SLBs. For SLB Category C for intellectual disabilities (tuna grahita), the curriculum applied is 40% academic and 60% skills. Unfortunately, the high vocational component is not balanced with more systematic internship channels and job placement, so the absorption of SLB alumni into the world of work is still very low. Statements given by several SLB principals in the Kulon Progo and Bantul areas, DIY, for example, show that some companies choose to give donations to SLB graduates rather than recruit them as employees.
Reproductive Education has not been part of the curriculum in SLBs or inclusive schools. This results in minimal understanding among students. This condition has serious consequences for the non-fulfillment of the sexuality rights of persons with disabilities as well as the high rate of sexual violence among persons with disabilities, ranging from the continuing practice of forced sterilization to incest.
Following the revision of Law No. 34 of 2004 Concerning Regional Government, there are implications for SLBs currently, namely that they are no longer under central authority, but have moved to the province. This has an impact on the loss of special companion teachers (GPK) in inclusive primary/junior secondary schools. In Sukoharjo, Central Java, for example, out of 5 inclusive primary schools, there are no longer GPKs, and children with special needs are given their own class/SLB within the primary school, and after graduating from the inclusive primary school, they move to the Special Needs Junior Secondary School.
At the higher education level, the Regulation of the Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia No. 60 of 2018 concerning the admission of new undergraduate students to higher education institutions was issued by the Government. Unfortunately, this Regulation does not contain disability principles. SNMPTN or SBMPTN (selection process for state universities) and the admission process at private universities still enforce several personality tests such as the BAUM Test (Drawing of a person, tree, and house) and the DAP Test (Drawing of a person) which can describe a person's character, personality, and psychological condition, which usually hinders intellectual mental disabilities from passing the exam. IQ tests are also a requirement in some universities as one of the prerequisites.
The government's paradigm once again shows that disability is only physical or sensory disability that is visible, and forgets invisible disabilities such as intellectual and mental disabilities. The accommodations provided are therefore more focused on school infrastructure or physical buildings, but there are no companion teachers who are truly trained to assist, for example, children with intellectual or mental disabilities or other types of disabilities that require more non-physical access. One case assisted by a DPO involved a child with disabilities who had been in an inclusive school, who, in 4th grade (2017), received pressure from the school to move to an SLB on the grounds of inability to follow the learning process. His mother initially refused, but because the pressure was continuous, she finally decided to move to an SLB. Another case involved a child with cerebral palsy, aged 9 years, who was rejected from registering at kindergarten because his age exceeded the kindergarten age requirement.
Proposed List of Issues:
Explain the data distribution regarding the number and location of Inclusive schools in Indonesia, including male and female students with disabilities attending inclusive schools, with their types of disabilities, and the education levels from primary to senior secondary school? What is the percentage of persons with disabilities attending higher education?
What is the percentage of school building accessibility for various disabilities, both physical and non-physical?
Response List of Issue (Coalition/OHANA)
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) started disaggregating education data in Susenas based on disability since 2018, although it is not yet detailed with types of disability, impairment/disorder, gender, and age. The data also does not yet include by name by address, so the government has not been able to provide comprehensive services to all children with disabilities in education, including the provision of reasonable accommodation for each child according to their type of disability. BPS data only illustrates the percentage of participation and non-school attendance, it does not cover detailed data per region, gender, type of disability, and need for further handling.
Inclusive schools are still not fully implemented in schools that have been granted inclusive school assistance. Schools usually select children with mild disabilities and reject those with severe disabilities. In Jakarta, for example, children with intellectual disabilities cannot enroll because they must provide proof of an IQ test, causing parents of children with intellectual disabilities to prefer SLBs, whose curriculum is very low, and which ultimately makes them fall further behind and not develop optimally. WKCP data from 104 guardians/parents of persons with cerebral palsy conducted during November–December 2019 shows that inclusive schools are still selective in the admission process of Children with Special Needs (ABK). Or, in another case, there are children who were initially enrolled in inclusive schools, but due to inadequate facilities and infrastructure or human resources, the child was then returned to an SLB by the school.
WKCP evaluation notes in 2019 in the Yogyakarta region on 104 parents who have children with cerebral palsy show: 37% of children with cerebral palsy attend school (29% in inclusive schools and 71% in SLBs), while 63% of all participants' children do not attend school. Reasons parents do not send their children to school: due to health conditions that do not allow it (54.5%), the distance being too far (45.5%), not yet finding a suitable school (40.9%).
The data above indicates that most parents who have children with cerebral palsy in Yogyakarta Province prefer SLBs over inclusive schools. Meanwhile, the SLB itself indeed has a curriculum that does not significantly support the development and abilities of the child. According to notes from intellectual disability organizations, most children graduating from Higher SLB lack abilities, even for reading and writing.
As for Deaf children, some Deaf students attend inclusive schools but are mostly directed towards vocational tracks, inconsistent with the students' wishes. The biggest obstacle is that inclusive schools do not always provide sign language interpreters or do not have teachers who are capable of sign language. In practice, Deaf children only rewrite what is on the whiteboard or in a book. Many also do not yet understand the function of Sign Language Interpreters (JBI) in schools, among teachers, educators, or school officials, so Deaf children use a gesturing system, instead of learning or using sign language.
Not all regions have established a Disability Service Unit (ULD), even though it has been affirmed in Law No. 8 of 2016 Concerning Persons with Disabilities and the Government Regulation on Reasonable Accommodation for Students with Disabilities. In Yogyakarta City, a ULD has been established as a means to bridge the problems faced by students with disabilities. However, for other regions, its establishment is not yet known, so technically the implementation of inclusive schools is often hampered by the absence of ULDs.
Inclusive School
Inclusive schools, a national program, are implemented at the district/city level. In Yogyakarta City, there are inclusive schools at the Early Childhood Education (PAUD) to Junior Secondary School (SMP) levels; as of December 2019, there were 8 PAUD-Kindergartens (TK), 44 Primary Schools (SD), and 17 SMPs designated as inclusive schools. Meanwhile, SLB, which is still the choice of parents for sending children with disabilities to school, in Yogyakarta City there are about 7 State SLBs and about 52 Private SLBs. A number of inclusive schools provide accessibility and reasonable accommodation according to student needs, such as the provision of ramps, wheelchairs, and companion teachers/GPK for the SD – SMP levels, but not all have met the reasonable accommodation standard for inclusive schools. A similar situation also occurs in Riau Province.
The authority for schools shifting to the provincial level for secondary education and district/city level for primary education means that inclusive school policies also vary by region. In Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, the Sidoarjo Regency Education Office has an annual fund allocation to train Special Companion Teachers (GPK) who are placed in inclusive schools at the SD - SMP levels. The number of trained GPKs increases every year. However, this does not happen in all districts/cities or provinces, because each region has different policies. In Yogyakarta city, the Regional Government provides a budget for human resource development in inclusive schools.
There is no regular mapping, data collection, and evaluation related to inclusive schools throughout Indonesia, including standardization, auditing of accessibility and reasonable accommodation, student or parent satisfaction levels, and school participation of persons with disabilities.
The situation is increasingly concerning for children in remote areas, because inclusive schools and even SLBs are not fully available in every sub-district. Consequently, in some remote areas, it is religious private schools that are willing to accept children with intellectual disabilities. For remote areas, children with disabilities will be increasingly marginalized and eventually can only stay at home because access to schooling is closed.
Response List of Issue (HWDI)
No data available
Committee Recommendations
Bearing in mind its general comment No. 4 (2016) on the right to inclusive education, and target 4.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State Party:
Develop an inclusive education strategy, with specific targets, timelines and budgets, and coordinated responsibilities among national, provincial, city, and regency levels, covering all levels of education;
Establish disability service units in all regions and at all levels of education to facilitate the provision of accessible learning materials, alternative communication and information methods, such as inclusive digital access, Easy Read, Braille, sign language, communication aids, and assistive devices and information technology, and to ensure teacher training in sign language and Braille, including in rural and remote areas;
Develop policies and strategies to address stigma and misinformation about leprosy within the education system and to ensure the participation of children who have experienced leprosy or children whose parents have been affected by leprosy in inclusive education.
ⓘ Indicators
Establishment of Disability Service Units (ULD) in Education, Inclusive education targets, policies and strategies to address stigma and misinformation about leprosy.