Enhancing Public Services: USAID ERAT Broadens Educational Access for Children in Kota Serang

Education is a fundamental right in Indonesia, but many children remain out of school and reintegration into the educational system is challenging. Innovative programs are crucial to break down barriers and ensure every child has access to education. Our USAID-funded ERAT (Effective, Efficient, and Strong Government) program supports the government in realizing this right.

Kota Serang, one of USAID ERAT locations in Banten province, has achieved near-universal school enrollment for 7–12-year-olds (99.6%, provincial average: 99.5%). However, the participation rate dropped significantly for teenagers (only 94.9% for 13-15 years old and 61.9% for 16-18 years old) in 2021. These are lower than the provincial averages of 96.8% and 68.9%, respectively.

After successfully bringing 10 youth back to schools in July 2023, the government of Kota Serang, with USAID ERAT’s support, reenrolled 18 more children in November 2023. This is a part of “Aje Kendor Sekolah” (Don’t Stop Schooling) program, launched by the mayor of Kota Serang in September 2022 when USAID ERAT facilitated a discussion about the 12-Year Compulsory Education program. A working group was formed, by mayoral decree, as a collaboration between the city government, the private sector, and universities.

“With the collaborative support of USAID ERAT and the government of Kota Serang, this program is fundamentally dedicated to addressing out-of-school cases. Its primary objective is to prioritize the restoration of children’s rights, specifically focusing on enabling those of school age to re-enter the educational system,” said the Mayor of Kota Serang, Syafrudin, during the Aje Kendor Sekolah program launch. While the program has not yet reached all 7,669 children who remain out of school, the government is determined to ensure all children have the right to education.

Previously, the government of Kota Serang did not have comprehensive data on how many children were not enrolled in school. USAID ERAT helped the working group learn from its peers in Pekalongan (Central Java), where there is a similar program, that includes how to verify and validate the number of out-of-school children through subdistrict and village offices. After verifying the number of out-of-school children, the working group began approaching children and their families to discuss returning to school and coordinated with schools able to accept returning students.

Additionally, the USAID ERAT facilitated discussions with the private sector, specifically the National Zakat Agency (Badan Zakat Nasional, BAZNAS) and a state-owned bank, Bank Jabar Banten (BJB), to gain more support for the Aje Kendor Sekolah program. As a result, all children who are reenrolled in school will receive needed school supplies from the BAZNAS in Serang and a savings fund of Rp500,000 from BJB.

While not all reintegrated children can seamlessly transition into their respective grade levels, our programs are committed to addressing their challenges. USAID ERAT and the government of Kota Serang are committed to ensuring all youth have and can access their basic right to education.