Guest Lecture: Insights into Indonesia’s Education Reform by Dr. Iwan Syahril
The Master of Public Policy & Management (MPPM) program at Monash University Indonesia hosted an engaging guest lecture for the ATI5104: Public Sector Reform unit. Supported by the Learning & Teaching Operations (LTO) team, the event featured Dr. Iwan Syahril, the Director General of Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary Education at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (MoECRT) of the Republic of Indonesia. Dr. Iwan, with his extensive experience and previous roles, including serving as Special Staff to Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim and leading the Directorate-General of Teachers and Education Personnel, was an ideal speaker to discuss Indonesia’s education reform.
The session, moderated by Ms. Ni Lugra, one of the students, focused on System Leadership and Transforming Education: A Reflection from Indonesia’s Experience in Merdeka Belajar (Emancipated Learning). Dr. Iwan structured his presentation into two insightful parts: the transformation of Indonesian education and the eight key lessons of system leadership that facilitated this transformation.
Dr. Iwan Syahril sharing insights at the MPPM Guest Lecture
Dr. Iwan began by outlining the complexity of Indonesia’s education ecosystem, which is the fourth largest in the world. He highlighted the learning crisis and learning loss issues that have plagued Indonesian students since 2018, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. He detailed the 26 episodes of major policies and programs under the Merdeka Belajar reform, aimed at overhauling the education system. Key achievements included learning recovery initiatives, employment support for university students, improvement in Indonesia’s Global Innovation Index ranking, and enhanced global rankings for Indonesian universities.
In the second half, Dr Iwan shared eight crucial lessons for effective system leadership that contributed to the success of the Merdeka Belajar reform. He emphasised the importance of clarity of purpose from top leaders, making early bold decisions and committing to them, focusing on key human capital to nurture the next generation of leaders, and building community engagement. He also highlighted the role of digital technology as a key accelerator, the necessity of avoiding overextension (do not boil the ocean), transforming the internal organization, and establishing a professional communication team.
Dr. Iwan concluded by emphasizing the future priorities for the new administration, including ensuring literacy and numeracy as key indicators for the Human Development Index, recognizing the irreversible impacts of technology, promoting more change agents as school leaders and supervisors, improving students’ nutritional status through free school meal programs, and maintaining a commitment to access and quality education.
Dr. Iwan Syahril with the MPPM students, accompanied by Associate Professor Altaf Virani, Tantia Dian Permata Indah (COO & VP), Anddy Steven (LTO Senior Manager), and Nurkholis Ainunnajib (LTO Education Designer)
The lecture ended with a dynamic Q&A session where Dr. Iwan addressed thoughtful questions from the students. The discussion provided a comprehensive understanding of the five-year (2019 - 2024) education reform journey, highlighting the ministry’s collaborative efforts with other ministries, education stakeholders, and 552 local governments. This event was part of a series of guest lectures supported by the LTO team. Previously, the program has also hosted Dr. Anindito Aditomo, Head of the Agency for Education Standards, Curriculum, and Assessment at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (MoECRT) of the Republic of Indonesia.
Another MPPM Guest Lecture Event by Dr. Anindito Aditomo
These sessions underscore the value of engaging with policymakers to gain firsthand insights into public policy and practice, thus enriching the educational experience for MPPM students.