DELI SERDANG | INDATANEWS.COM - The Deli Serdang Regency Government is preparing a series of strategic policies to widen access to education and improve teaching and learning standards in 2027. The planned programmes include scholarships for children from low-income families and academically high-achieving pupils, school uniform assistance, and the construction of 217 new primary school classrooms.
Deli Serdang Regent dr H.
Asri Ludin Tambunan announced the plans at a Coordination Meeting on School Principals' Performance Assessments with the Regent of Deli Serdang on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. He stressed the importance of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to receive an education without being held back by financial hardship, inadequate facilities or family circumstances.
Asri Ludin urged education officials and schools to take a more active role in identifying children who had dropped out of school. Collecting this data would be the first step towards understanding why pupils had left education and determining the most appropriate forms of assistance to address their needs.
The Deli Serdang Regency Government aims to ensure that financial difficulties do not prevent children from continuing their education. It is therefore promoting more comprehensive data collection to ensure that assistance programmes reach the families who need them most.
Scholarships and School Assistance for Low-Income Families
In 2027, the Deli Serdang Regency Government plans to award scholarships to children from low-income households in decile groups 1–5, as well as pupils who demonstrate academic achievement. The programme is expected to help families cover education-related expenses while giving children greater opportunities to develop their academic potential.
Alongside scholarships, the local government plans to provide assistance with school uniforms. This support is intended to ease the financial burden on families, particularly those on limited incomes who must meet schooling costs for several children.
These education assistance policies are also linked to efforts to prevent children from dropping out of school. The local government needs to identify pupils facing financial barriers and connect them with appropriate support programmes. This approach would ensure that interventions focus not only on improving school facilities but also on helping families keep their children in education.
Asri Ludin emphasised that schools and education officials must put pupils' interests first when assessing education service requirements. He called on schools to report circumstances that could prevent children from accessing education, allowing the local government to determine the appropriate response.
IDENTIFYING CHILDREN WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT: Deli Serdang Regent dr H.
Asri Ludin Tambunan stresses the importance of identifying children who have left school and providing educational assistance to low-income families and academically high-achieving pupils. (PHOTO: Edi Saputra)
Local Government to Build 217 New Classrooms
Alongside assistance for pupils, the Deli Serdang Regency Government plans to build 217 new classrooms for primary schools in 2027. The additional learning spaces are intended to increase school capacity and address shortages of educational facilities.
Asri Ludin also asked education officials to map classroom requirements at junior secondary school level. The assessment is important for identifying schools that lack sufficient learning spaces and preparing construction proposals based on actual needs in the field.
"We will add 217 new classrooms for primary schools in 2027. If junior secondary schools still lack classrooms, please submit your requirements. Schools must not turn away children who want to attend," he said.
The availability of adequate learning spaces must go hand in hand with efforts to widen access to education. The local government needs to ensure that schools have sufficient capacity to accommodate school-age children at both primary and junior secondary levels.
To ensure that construction plans are properly targeted, assessments of classroom requirements should take into account pupil numbers, building conditions, class capacity and changing educational needs in each area. These data can provide a basis for setting construction priorities and ensuring that new facilities address the actual challenges faced by schools.
Classroom construction must also be accompanied by improvements in teaching quality. Adequate learning spaces will deliver greater benefits when schools have competent teachers, safe learning environments and effective education management systems.
STRENGTHENING TEACHER COMPETENCE: Deli Serdang Regent dr H.
Asri Ludin Tambunan calls for improvements in teacher competence, school accreditation and school principals' incentives, alongside efforts to strengthen pupils' character and discipline. (PHOTO: Edi Saputra)
Improving Teacher Competence and Pupils' Character
The Deli Serdang Regency Government also plans to improve teacher quality and school accreditation. One proposed measure is to facilitate further education for teachers at state-run kindergartens who have yet to obtain a bachelor's degree.
The local government is also encouraging all kindergartens to achieve at least a B accreditation rating. Meanwhile, state schools that have already received a B rating are being encouraged to improve their services and work towards an A rating, according to each school's needs and circumstances.
In addition to developing teachers' skills and improving accreditation, the local government has proposed incentives for school principals. The policy is expected to support principals in leading their schools, managing resources and improving the quality of educational services.
"We are proposing an increase in school principals' incentives to the Ministry of Finance. If approved, the higher incentives are planned to take effect in 2028," he said.
The proposal remains subject to approval by the central government. If approved, the increase could provide additional support for school principals as they carry out their managerial and academic responsibilities.
The Regent also stressed that educational success should not be measured solely by academic results or administrative achievements. Schools must also foster pupils' character, discipline and moral values so that they grow into responsible individuals capable of adapting to social change.
Schools have been urged to create safe learning environments and prevent bullying. They must also strengthen supervision to address smoking, vaping and the potential misuse of narcotics among pupils. These efforts require the involvement of school principals, teachers, parents and the wider community to ensure that preventive measures are implemented consistently.
Through these policies, the Deli Serdang Regency Government hopes to enable more children to attend school, ensure that low-income families receive the support they need, and provide schools with adequate facilities and qualified teaching staff.
The local government also aims to raise both expected years of schooling and mean years of schooling among Deli Serdang residents beyond the national averages. Achieving this goal will require the government to align education assistance, infrastructure development, teacher training and efforts to strengthen pupils' character within a sustainable policy framework.
The plans for 2027 form part of broader efforts to strengthen the foundations of education throughout the regency. Their implementation will determine how effectively the policies reach children in need, reduce barriers to education and improve teaching and learning standards across Deli Serdang. (IDNC)
REPORTER:
Edi Saputra | EDITOR:
Fik Sagala