The President-elect, Prabowo Subianto, has expressed his commitment to reduce the Single Tuition Fee (UKT) for public universities. He aims to work diligently towards achieving this goal during his upcoming leadership.
Prabowo made this statement during an exclusive interview on TvOne titled “Prabowo Subianto Speaks for Indonesia” on Wednesday (22/5).
“Especially in state universities, which are funded by public money (state budget), the fees should be kept low, ideally minimal or even free. We need to carefully calculate and strive for this,” Prabowo said.
He also highlighted the significant changes in the education system since the New Order era, where education has become more commercialized and influenced by capitalist values.
“The prevailing idea is that everything can be commodified, even though education is a public good and a social responsibility for a country,” emphasized Prabowo.
Looking ahead, considering the evolving times, Prabowo mentioned that the government will work towards making improvements in the education sector.
One of the key initiatives expected to boost state revenue is the industrial downstreaming program started by President Jokowi.
“It is essential for us to engage in downstreaming to add value and enhance our education system,” he emphasized.