MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, BANDUNG – President of Muhammadiyah Haedar Nashir highlighted that education plays a vital role in human development, and improving its quality is essential if Indonesia wants to raise its Human Development Index (HDI).
Haedar pointed out that managing an educational institution in Indonesia is far from easy. It requires serious attention and a broad, thoughtful approach to policymaking.
“Indonesia aspires to achieve a Generasi Emas (Golden Generation) goal by 2045,” said Haedar in the inauguration of the new Rector of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) for the 2025–2030 term on Monday, June 16.
Haedar emphasized the importance of well-planned and inclusive educational strategies. Diverse and complex social landscape of Indonesia makes it difficult to apply one-size-fits-all policies. He argued that a top-down approach alone is not effective because the education system of Indonesia is shaped by a wide range of social, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Many schools are run by private organizations, including faith-based ones, which play a significant role in providing access to education and improving people’s lives.
“This means that government policies cannot be entirely top-down. Our education system is deeply connected to the country’s demographic diversity,” said Haedar.
Haedar also reminded policymakers not to be overly confident about the country’s current progress. Despite improvements, Indonesia’s HDI still trails behind some neighboring countries.
“We need to double our efforts and take bold and extraordinary steps, both from the government and the private sector,” said Haedar.
He emphasized that education in Indonesia has always stood on two pillars: public institutions run by the state and private institutions, including those managed by Muhammadiyah and other religious organizations. These private institutions have been contributing to national education long before independence and continue to serve even in remote and underserved regions.
If education policy focuses only on government-run institutions, it will be much harder to ensure that all children in Indonesia receive a quality education. For that reason, he called for a more inclusive approach that values both public and private contributions in building a smarter, stronger nation.
