Summary:

Indonesia has made significant progress in improving student learning outcomes since the introduction of the National Assessment (Asesmen Nasional) in 2021. Between 2021 and 2024, average literacy and numeracy scores on the high school level increased across all major regions, suggesting that learning recovery efforts and ongoing education reforms have contributed to better educational outcomes nationwide.

However, national averages conceal important regional differences. Western Indonesia recorded the strongest improvements in both literacy and numeracy, while Eastern Indonesia experienced substantially smaller gains. As a result, regional disparities have widened despite overall progress. The literacy gap between Western and Eastern Indonesia increased from 7.3 points in 2021 to 13.3 points in 2024, while the numeracy gap widened from 3.7 points to 9.3 points over the same period.

These findings highlight a key challenge for Indonesia’s education system. While national policies may be improving learning outcomes overall, their benefits are not being distributed evenly across the country. Regions with stronger economic conditions, institutional capacity, infrastructure, and access to educational resources appear better positioned to translate reforms into learning gains. Ensuring that future improvements reach lagging regions will be critical for reducing human capital disparities and supporting more inclusive long-term development.

Highlights:

1. Learning outcomes improved nationwide. Average literacy and numeracy scores in senior high school students increased across all major regions between 2021 and 2024.

2. Western Indonesia recorded the strongest gains. Literacy and numeracy scores in Western Indonesia rose by 9.0 and 9.9 points respectively, the largest increase among all regions.

3. Regional disparities widened. The literacy gap between Western and Eastern Indonesia increased from 7.3 to 13.3 points, while the numeracy gap grew from 3.7 to 9.3 points.

Article By Gianina Amadira

Graphic By YAN, Bowen