JAKARTA -  Indonesia, through discussions between the Child Protection Commission (KPAI) and the Foreign Ministry on April 15 in Jakarta, is seeking to standardize nonformal schooling for migrant workers’ children abroad. The discussion took place at the KPAI office in the Indonesian capital.

The meeting included Vice Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno, who raised the condition of Indonesian children overseas, especially children of Indonesian migrant workers. Many of them study through Community Learning Centers (CLC) because they cannot easily enter formal schools in the countries where they live.

The commission said that Indonesia’s Community Learning Activity Center (PKBM) model, through Paket A, Paket B, and Paket C, could serve as a reference because it is more flexible and can be adapted to the needs of children overseas. 

KPAI said the discussion centered on problems within the CLC system, including limits in the curriculum, a lack of teaching staff, and learning structures that are still incomplete. At the meeting, Oegroseno added, “We need to encourage a more structured non-formal education model that adheres to certain standards.”

KPAI Chair Aris Adi Leksono said at the same meeting that treaty commitments alone were not enough if implementation still varied across countries and regions. He said, “Fulfilling children's right to education must remain a priority, so cross-stakeholder coordination is needed.” KPAI Vice Chair Jasra Putra added that distance-learning technology could also help children access schooling despite location and administrative barriers.

In Peninsular Malaysia, about 2,600 Indonesian children are studying at 78 informal schools known as Sanggar Bimbingan, according to Muhammad Firdaus, Education and Cultural Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur last year.  He also said that there were around 21,000 children studying in Community Learning Centers (CLC) in Sabah and Sarawak, separate from the 2,600 in Sanggar Bimbingan on the peninsula.