Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review
Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review (e-ISSN: 3164-5038) is published by COLLEGIUM JUSTICIA INDONESIA, first published in 2024, and issued quarterly in March, June, September, and December in online format (electronic journal). It is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal focusing on education, law, public policy, and justice in Indonesia and the Global South. The journal provides an academic platform for academics, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders to disseminate research and scholarly perspectives on contemporary issues in education and its relationship with law, policy, governance, and social justice. The journal publishes original research articles, review articles, conceptual studies, policy analyses, case studies, and other scholarly works within its scope. Areas of interest include education policy and governance, access and equity in education, the right to education, educational regulation, institutional accountability, social justice, equality, educational rights, and legal and institutional challenges in the education sector. The journal welcomes interdisciplinary contributions from law, education, public policy, political science, sociology, economics, and related fields. It aims to promote critical academic discussion and contribute to evidence-based education policies, legal reform, equitable access to education, good governance, and the protection of the right to education. The journal applies a double-anonymous peer-review process and an Open Access Policy, providing free and immediate access to all published articles. Copyright is retained by the authors, and all articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.
Articles
50 Documents
<![CDATA[Nearest School, Unequal Access: Residential Justice in the Implementation of the New Student Admission System in Bandung City ]]>
<![CDATA[Farhan Adji Surahlan]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): March, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/np6n1e07
<![CDATA[The implementation of residential-based student admission policies is intended to promote equal access to public education by reducing geographical barriers and limiting excessive competition among applicants. However, residential proximity does not necessarily guarantee substantive equality when schools differ significantly in quality, resources, reputation, and socioeconomic composition. This study examines the implementation of Indonesia’s New Student Admission System (SPMB) in Bandung City through the lens of residential justice. It investigates how residential criteria shape students’ access to public secondary schools and whether the policy effectively reduces or instead reproduces existing educational inequalities. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research analyzes local policy documents and admission mechanisms and incorporates perspectives from education officials, school administrators, parents, and prospective students. The study conceptualizes justice not merely as equal geographical access but as equitable opportunities to obtain quality education. Preliminary analytical expectations suggest that residential-based admission may redistribute access without addressing unequal school quality across neighborhoods. The study therefore argues that admission reform should be accompanied by policies addressing school quality disparities, transportation accessibility, and socioeconomic segregation. The findings are expected to contribute to the international debate on admission policies, spatial inequality, and education justice in decentralized education systems.]]>
<![CDATA[Affirmative Justice in the New Student Admission System: Access of Low-Income Students to Public Schools in Surabaya City ]]>
<![CDATA[Siti Malikhatus Shalihah]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): March, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/qkva6s51
<![CDATA[Affirmative admission policies are designed to compensate for socioeconomic disadvantages that restrict students’ opportunities to access quality public education. In Indonesia, the New Student Admission System (SPMB) incorporates affirmative pathways intended to provide greater opportunities for students from economically disadvantaged households. Nevertheless, formal eligibility does not necessarily translate into substantive access, particularly when families face difficulties related to documentation, information, digital registration, and school capacity. This study examines the implementation of the affirmative pathway of SPMB in Surabaya City and evaluates its contribution to educational justice for low-income students. Employing a qualitative case study design, the research investigates policy implementation, administrative procedures, access barriers, and perceptions among parents, students, schools, and local education authorities. The analytical framework combines distributive and procedural justice to assess whether benefits are fairly distributed and whether admission procedures are transparent, accessible, and responsive to disadvantaged families. The study argues that affirmative policies should be evaluated beyond admission rates by examining the institutional barriers that influence students’ ability to utilize affirmative provisions. The research contributes to education policy scholarship by demonstrating how apparently equitable admission mechanisms can produce unequal outcomes when administrative and informational capacities vary across socioeconomic groups.]]>
<![CDATA[Fair for Whom?: Contesting Residential and Merit-Based Pathways in Public Senior High School Admission in Yogyakarta ]]>
<![CDATA[Bhakti Arum Widyastuti]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): March, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/j5bn7m68
<![CDATA[School admission policies frequently involve competing conceptions of justice. Residential pathways emphasize equal access and spatial redistribution, whereas merit-based pathways prioritize academic achievement and individual performance. The coexistence of these principles raises an important policy question: which conception of justice should determine access to high-demand public schools? This study examines the tension between residential and merit-based admission pathways in public senior high schools in Yogyakarta City. Using a qualitative policy case study, the research explores how students, parents, school administrators, and policymakers interpret fairness within the admission system. Particular attention is given to the relationship between students’ residential location, socioeconomic background, prior educational opportunities, and academic achievement. The study employs a multidimensional justice framework encompassing distributive equality, procedural fairness, and recognition of unequal starting conditions. It argues that merit cannot be considered socially neutral when access to high-quality learning environments, tutoring, digital resources, and family support is unequally distributed. At the same time, residential criteria may fail to ensure meaningful equality when school quality remains geographically differentiated. The study proposes a balanced admission framework in which merit and residential considerations are accompanied by stronger affirmative mechanisms and equalization of school quality across neighborhoods.]]>
<![CDATA[Administrative Justice in Student Admission in Disadvantaged Regions: A Case Study of SPMB Implementation in West Nusa Tenggara ]]>
<![CDATA[Santo Alexius Marga Utomo]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): March, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/ywera241
<![CDATA[Digitalized student admission systems are increasingly promoted as instruments for transparency, efficiency, and accountability. However, their implementation in geographically disadvantaged regions may generate new forms of exclusion when families have unequal access to digital infrastructure, information, administrative assistance, and institutional support. This study investigates administrative justice in the implementation of Indonesia’s New Student Admission System (SPMB) in disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost areas of West Nusa Tenggara. The study focuses on the experiences of students and parents who encounter geographical, technological, and administrative barriers during the admission process. Using a qualitative case study design, data are examined through the concepts of procedural justice, accessibility, and institutional responsiveness. Particular attention is given to the role of teachers, schools, and local governments in assisting families with registration and documentation. The study argues that formal digital equality does not necessarily create substantive administrative equality. In remote communities, equitable admission requires differentiated institutional support rather than uniform procedures. The case demonstrates that teachers may function as intermediaries between centralized digital policy and communities with limited administrative capacity. The findings contribute to debates on digital governance and education justice by highlighting the need to incorporate territorial inequality into the design of supposedly universal education policies.]]>
<![CDATA[When Distance Determines the Future: Spatial Justice and Access to Secondary Education in the Sangihe Islands ]]>
<![CDATA[Melati Putri Anggita]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): March, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/w0c96d05
<![CDATA[Geographical distance remains a significant but frequently underestimated determinant of educational opportunity in archipelagic regions. While national education policies generally establish universal standards of access, students living on remote islands may experience substantially different educational opportunities because of transportation costs, school availability, weather conditions, and uneven infrastructure. This study examines spatial justice in access to secondary education in the Sangihe Islands, North Sulawesi. The research explores how geographical isolation interacts with household socioeconomic conditions and public education provision to shape students’ educational trajectories. A qualitative case study approach is employed, combining policy analysis with interviews with students, parents, teachers, and local education stakeholders. The study uses spatial justice as its primary analytical framework, emphasizing accessibility, territorial equity, and the distribution of educational resources. The analysis suggests that treating geographical distance as a neutral factor obscures the unequal burdens experienced by students in island communities. Equal provision of school services may therefore produce unequal outcomes when transportation and geographic conditions differ substantially. The study argues for place-sensitive education policies that incorporate transportation support, flexible school organization, residential learning facilities, and differentiated resource allocation. Such measures are necessary to transform formal equality of educational provision into substantive equality of educational opportunity.]]>
<![CDATA[Distributive Justice in Teacher Affirmative Policy: A Case Study of Special Allowance Allocation for Teachers in Papua ]]>
<![CDATA[Ahmad Faqih]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): June, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/3p9p0425
<![CDATA[Teacher distribution and welfare remain central challenges in achieving equitable educational quality across geographically disadvantaged regions of Indonesia. In 2026, the Indonesian government expanded its affirmative program for teachers working in disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost areas, including an increased allocation of special teacher allowances. This study examines the policy through the framework of distributive justice, focusing on whether affirmative financial support adequately recognizes the structural burdens experienced by teachers in remote regions. Using a qualitative policy case study, the research analyzes policy objectives, eligibility mechanisms, distribution procedures, and perceived effects among teachers and education stakeholders in Papua. The study distinguishes between equality of treatment and equity of compensation, arguing that teachers working under substantially different geographical, infrastructural, and socioeconomic conditions may require differentiated policy support. The analysis also considers whether financial incentives alone are sufficient to address teacher shortages and retention problems. The study proposes that distributive justice in teacher policy should integrate financial compensation with professional development, housing, transportation, digital connectivity, and career advancement opportunities. By examining teacher welfare as a matter of educational justice rather than merely human-resource management, this research contributes to broader discussions about state responsibility and equitable education provision in geographically marginalized regions.]]>
<![CDATA[Teachers Are Present, but Unequally Distributed: Teacher Allocation and Educational Justice in the Mentawai Islands ]]>
<![CDATA[François Xavier Edo Alfonso]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): June, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/08b9zp25
<![CDATA[Equal access to qualified teachers is fundamental to educational justice, yet teacher distribution remains highly uneven across geographically fragmented regions. This study examines teacher allocation in primary schools across the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, focusing on the gap between formal teacher availability and equitable access to qualified teaching personnel. The research investigates how geographical isolation, employment status, school size, transportation barriers, and professional incentives influence the distribution of teachers across island communities. A qualitative case study methodology is employed through policy analysis and interviews with teachers, school leaders, local education officials, and community representatives. The study adopts a distributive justice perspective to assess whether teacher resources are allocated according to educational need rather than administrative convenience. It argues that aggregate teacher-student ratios can conceal significant intra-regional inequalities, particularly when teachers are concentrated in relatively accessible settlements while remote schools face persistent shortages. The findings are expected to demonstrate that teacher equity requires differentiated allocation formulas that account for geographic difficulty, school remoteness, and instructional workload. The study recommends combining targeted recruitment, special allowances, housing support, transportation assistance, and professional development with stronger local monitoring mechanisms to ensure that teacher distribution contributes to substantive equality in educational opportunity.]]>
<![CDATA[Learning Without a Signal: Digital Justice in Technology-Based Education Policy Implementation in East Sumba ]]>
<![CDATA[David Marthinus Wulla]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): June, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/hzf1sy31
<![CDATA[Digital transformation has become an important component of contemporary education policy, yet its benefits are unevenly distributed across regions. In remote areas, limited internet connectivity, electricity, digital devices, and teacher capacity can prevent students from fully participating in technology-based learning. This study investigates digital justice in the implementation of technology-oriented education policy in East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara. It examines how infrastructural and socioeconomic inequalities shape students’ and teachers’ ability to benefit from digital education initiatives. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research draws on policy documents and perspectives from teachers, students, school leaders, parents, and local policymakers. Digital justice is conceptualized as more than equal access to devices; it encompasses meaningful connectivity, digital competence, quality of content, and the capacity to use technology for educational participation. The study argues that national digitalization policies may unintentionally reproduce educational inequality when implementation assumes infrastructure and digital readiness that are not equally available across territories. The research therefore advocates a differentiated policy approach in which digital transformation is accompanied by investments in connectivity, electricity, teacher capacity, offline learning alternatives, and community-based digital support. The study contributes to debates on digital education policy by foregrounding territorial inequality within national digital transformation agendas.]]>
<![CDATA[From Digitalization to Inequality: Implementing Education Technology Policy in Disadvantaged Schools in East Nusa Tenggara ]]>
<![CDATA[Lukas Ndjurumana]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): June, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/k51xvs86
<![CDATA[National digitalization policies often assume that schools possess sufficient infrastructure to adopt technology-enhanced learning. This assumption becomes problematic in disadvantaged regions where schools continue to experience shortages in electricity, internet connectivity, equipment, and technical support. This study examines the implementation gap between national education technology policy and school-level realities in disadvantaged areas of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The research focuses on how schools interpret, adapt, and negotiate technology-oriented policy requirements under conditions of infrastructural scarcity. A qualitative multiple-case study design is proposed, involving selected primary and secondary schools with different levels of technological readiness. Data are analyzed through an implementation justice framework emphasizing unequal institutional capacity, resource distribution, and policy responsiveness. The study argues that identical policy requirements can generate unequal burdens when schools operate under fundamentally different material conditions. Rather than interpreting limited technology adoption as institutional failure, the research conceptualizes it as a structural policy problem. The study further examines whether current revitalization and infrastructure interventions sufficiently address the broader ecosystem required for meaningful digital learning. It recommends integrating digital policy with infrastructure development, teacher training, maintenance systems, and context-sensitive implementation targets. The research contributes to international scholarship by demonstrating how territorial inequalities mediate the implementation of national digital education reforms.]]>
<![CDATA[Inclusive Schools, but Is the System Ready?: Justice in the Implementation of Inclusive Education in Pasuruan Regency ]]>
<![CDATA[Nur Annisa Putri]]>;
<![CDATA[Ahmad Zaki Al Mubarak]]>
<![CDATA[ Indonesian Education Policy and Justice Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): June, 2026 ]]>
Publisher : <![CDATA[The Network of Indonesian Legal and Justice Researchers ]]>
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DOI: 10.65815/mva30562
<![CDATA[Inclusive education represents a commitment to equal educational rights for students with disabilities and other special educational needs. However, the formal designation of schools as inclusive does not necessarily guarantee equitable participation, appropriate support, or meaningful learning experiences. This study examines the implementation of inclusive education in Pasuruan Regency, East Java, focusing on the relationship between policy commitments and institutional capacity. The research investigates the availability of special education teachers, assessment mechanisms, accessibility infrastructure, learning adaptations, and support services for students with disabilities. Using a qualitative case study design, the study engages with school administrators, teachers, parents, local policymakers, and students where appropriate. The analysis applies recognition, distributive, and procedural justice to evaluate whether students with disabilities are recognized as equal rights holders, receive adequate educational resources, and participate meaningfully in school decision-making. The study argues that inclusion should not be measured solely by enrollment numbers. Genuine inclusion requires institutional transformation that enables students to participate, learn, and progress under equitable conditions. The findings are expected to identify structural gaps between inclusive education regulations and school-level implementation and to propose a justice-oriented framework for local governments. The study contributes to international debates on inclusive education by linking disability rights with education policy implementation and institutional accountability.]]>
