UMS Pushes for Better Access and Quality in Education Bill Review

The Indonesian Educational Scholars Association (ISPI) and the Independent Accreditation Institute for Education (LAMDIK) collaborated with Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) to hold a critical discussion on the draft revision of the National Education System Law (UU Sisdiknas).

The event took place in the Postgraduate Seminar Room of UMS on Saturday (27/9/2025), involving the Expertise Board of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), as well as the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen).

In his opening remarks, UMS Rector Prof. Dr. Harun Joko Prayitno, M.Hum., invited all parties to always be grateful, both horizontally and vertically. According to him, horizontal gratitude can be manifested through hard work and earnest efforts in formulating regulations so that the government can provide education for all. Meanwhile, vertical gratitude is realized through devotion to Allah SWT.

Harun emphasized that there are three fundamental issues in education that UMS has consistently highlighted. The first is the issue of accessibility, which has been summarized by theKemendikdasmen through the tagline quality education for all.

“The importance of quality education, the importance of equal distribution of education. Which should come first? Of course, equality first and then quality, so that it truly becomes the tagline: quality education for all,” said Harun.

The second is the issue of quality, which must remain at the forefront of safeguarding national education, both through external quality assurance and internal quality strengthening.

“Education is not merely about changing, transforming, or providing certain skills. What is most important is strengthening values. The essence of education, as the Javanese say, is ‘uwongke uwong’, to dignify life, and within it, to dignify humanity,” he explained.

He also stressed that teachers must be able to provide enlightenment in order to encourage students to cultivate positive energy wherever they are.

Meanwhile, representing ISPI, Prof. Dr. M. Solehuddin, M.Pd., M.A., considered the revision of the UU Sisdiknas as inevitable. This is not merely due to shortcomings in the old law but because of the ever-evolving times, given that the UU Sisdiknas has been in place for more than 20 years.

“The law may have been good in its time, but because of the various changes and continuously developing conditions, of course, adjustments must be made,” he said.

He also invited all participants to make the most of the critical review forum.

“Hopefully, the increasingly heavy challenges of education in the future can be addressed with quality education, and certainly, all of this must be based on regulations that truly provide a strong foundation for delivering quality education in Indonesia moving forward,” he concluded.

Writer: Maysali Sudarwati

Editor: Fika Annisa’ Sholihah

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid