Join us for a Fulbright Scholar talk exploring Indonesia’s Merdeka Belajar reform and what it teaches us about improving education systems.
Speaker:
Dr. Anindito Aditomo - University of Surabaya; Center for Education and Policy Studies, Indonesia
Lecture Title:
Strengthening Systems Coherence to Improve Learning: The Case of Indonesia’s Merdeka Belajar Reform
Abstract:
Despite expanded access to primary education, learning outcomes in many low- and middle-income countries remain low, reflecting education systems that prioritize compliance and administration over learning. Reforms often fail because they do not realign the accountability structures shaping school and teacher behavior. This study analyzes Indonesia’s Merdeka Belajar reform as a systemic attempt to address this problem, using the RISE Systems Coherence Framework. The reform strengthened coherence within the state–provider accountability relationship but achieved more limited alignment across political, managerial, and voice dimensions, largely improving information while leaving other elements misaligned. This partial coherence led to wide variation in school implementation and learning outcomes. The study underscores both the promise and the limits of strengthening systems coherence for learning in large, decentralized education systems.
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