South Sumatra Education Advocacy Coalition Recommends Dismissal of Acting Governor and Head of Education Office
PALEMBANG, GESAHKITA COM—The South Sumatra Education Advocacy Coalition, along with education activists, held a demonstration in front of the South Sumatra Provincial Parliament (DPRD) building on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The protest aimed to annul and redo the 2024 New Student Admission Process (PPDB).
Action coordinator, Ki Musmulyono, SP, stated that the latest policies regarding PPDB, implemented through Minister of Education Regulation No. 1 of 2021 and Secretary General Decree No. 47/M/2023, have restricted children’s freedom in choosing education. He also criticized the Acting Governor of South Sumatra’s Decree No. 234/KPTS/DISDIK/2024 and the Head of the South Sumatra Education Office’s Decree No. 067/10114/SMA.2/DISDIK.SS/2024, considering them as not being in favor of the children of South Sumatra.
“The 2024 PPDB mechanism is unfair and allegedly full of vested interests. This has caused anxiety among the community, especially since the educational infrastructure in South Sumatra is inadequate to support the new regulations,” said Musmulyono.
The coalition presented four main demands during the protest:
1. Urging the South Sumatra DPRD to annul and redo the 2024 PPDB, and to transparently open the admission data.
2. Revoking the Acting Governor of South Sumatra’s Decree No. 234/KPTS/DISDIK/2024 and reinstating Governor Regulation No. 13 of 2021, which is more in line with local wisdom.
3. Recommending the replacement of the Acting Governor of South Sumatra and the Head of the South Sumatra Education Office along with their relevant staff.
4. Immediately following up on these demands.
“We urge the Chair of the South Sumatra DPRD to summon the Acting Governor and the Head of the Education Office to address this issue. The state must affirm the form and mechanism of protecting children’s right to education as guaranteed in Article 60 paragraph (1) of Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights,” Musmulyono emphasized.
The protest was received by Susanto Aziz, Chairman of Commission Five of the South Sumatra DPRD. After listening to the speeches, Susanto Aziz invited the Coalition into the budget committee room and immediately held a Public Hearing. In conclusion, Susanto Aziz promised to summon the Head of the Education Office to discuss issues related to the PPDB process in South Sumatra.
