The Implementation of Education Policy in Local Areas
Dwi Amperawati, Drajat Tri Kartono and Didik Gunawan Suharto
Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
Keywords: Implementation, education policy, BOSDA.
Abstract: Local School Operational Grant (BOSDA) program is directed to support the free education policy in local
government. This research aimed to: 1) the implementation of Local School Operational Grant (BOSDA)
policy, and 2) the factors affecting the implementation of BOSDA. This research using qualitative research
method with descriptive approach. The result showed that: 1) the process of managing BOSDA was
conducted in the following stages: determining the operational cost of education unit; regulation
development; socialization to society and school; school income and expense budget development;
implementation process; and monitoring; 2) the implementation of BOSDA policy was affected by
supporting factor dan inhibiting factor. The improvement of human resource aspect, particularly budget
manager and activity executives, is the agenda important to do.
1 INTRODUCTION
The preamble of UUD 1945 (the 1945 Constitution)
states that one objective of Republic of Indonesia
country is to intellectualize the nation life and for
that reason, every Indonesian is entitled to acquire
high-quality education corresponding to his/her
interest and talent, regardless social status, race,
ethnic, religion and gender. Furthermore, the Article
5 clause (1) of Law Number 20 of 2003 about
National Education System mentions that “Every
citizen has equal right to acquire high-quality
education” and Article 11 clause (1) states
“Government and Local Government obligatorily
provides service and facilitation, and ensures the
organization of high-quality education for every
citizen without discrimination”.
Government is still faced with various problems
to realize the ideal of national education, including
either internal factor such as educator quality level
not qualifying the standard quality, inadequate
school infrastructure and limited education budget
provided by government, or external factor such as
nature and environment, social-economic gap, and
globalization effect.
Primary education development policy in the
period of 2004-2009 is prioritized to improve the
society’s access to higher-quality primary education
through implementing 9-year Primary Education
Compulsory Learning (thereafter called Wajar) and
to give larger access to community group,
particularly the poor one. For that reason, at the
same time, government issues supporting policy that
in principle encourage the society to get opportunity
of attending primary education.
School Operational Grant (thereafter called
BOS) Program builds on the concern that economic
problem (fuel price increase) will result in the
decrease in public’s purchasing power, including the
poor people’s access to 9-year Primary Education.
Thus, the objective of School Operational Grant
(BOS) Program is to exempt the poor students from
tuition and to relieve tuition for other students, to
make the students acquire high-quality 9-year
education service.
School fees represent one of the main obstacles
to enrolment and persistence, especially for children
from low-income households (Heymann et al.,
2014). In some areas, local government also
develops policy to give the school the grant in the
form of Local School Operational Grant (thereafter
called BOSDA). BOSDA is the provision of school
operational funding deriving from Local Income and
Expense Budget. BOSDA is given to Private and
School schools and the schools under Religion
Ministry (Madrasah). BOSDA can be used to
support all teaching-learning process activities at
school.
Local Government Policy concerning free
education is used for investment cost such as early
Amperawati, D., Kartono, D. and Suharto, D.
The Implementation of Education Policy in Local Areas.
In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 2, pages 73-77
ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
73

school admission cost (Institution Development
Contribution) and operational cost with exemption
of tuition and other school activities such as
extracurricular, extra lesson hour/enrichment
activities, and etc. The fund given for free out of
personal cost includes uniform, stationery, shoes and
other school instrument purchasing for students’
personal interest. The implementation of Local
School Operational Grant has been able to relieve
the people’s burden in the term of investment and
school operation and constitutes a superior program
in implementing basic service in education sector.
While the feasibility of need-based assistance is
negatively related to the possibility of graduation,
the amount of assistance positively impacts the
graduation, depending on the eligibility to obtain
assistance. Among the types of aid, grants and
scholarships have the most positive effect on
graduation (Alon, 2007). Conditional cash transfer
programs in developing countries have found a
positive effect on attendance in large-scale
randomized trials. Research in developing countries
has found that providing financial incentives to
families significantly improves secondary school
attendance (Slavin, 2010).
There are two important issues related to
education aid. First, education aid is likely to be
more effective in contexts with relatively good
institutional capacity. Second, the social returns to
educational investment usually materialize in the
longer-term, and the involved policies processes and
innovations often require ‘trial and error’ before
yielding the desirable results (Niño-Zarazúa, 2016).
This research aimed to analyze the Local School
Operational Grant implementation process and to
identify the factors affecting the implementation,
including factors supporting and inhibiting the
implementation of BOSDA.
2 METHODS
This study employed a qualitative research method
with descriptive approach. The types of data used
were primary and secondary data. Primary data was
collected from informants in the Education Office
and School. Secondary data was obtained by looking
at the archives, documents related to the
implementation and mechanism of free education
programs through BOSDA. The sample was taken
using purposive sampling and snowball sampling
techniques. Techniques of collecting data used in-
depth interview, participatory observation and
documentation study. This paper conducted
interviews with the Head and Secretary of the
Education Office, Head of Legal Affair, four
schools, including: principals, BOSDA school
managers, teacher representatives, and parent of the
student representatives. Technique of analyzing data
used was an interactive model of analysis. Data
validation was carried out using source triangulation
and informant review.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Policy implementation may be viewed as a prosess
of interaction between the setting of goals and action
geared to achieve them. Policy implementation
encompases those actions by public and private
individuals or groups that are directed at the
achievement of objectives set forth in policy
decisions (Paudel, 2009). This implementation
research not only focused the implementation
process but also identified the factors affecting
policy implementation. Regarding this, the author
chose Van Meter and Van Horn’s model (Wibawa,
1994).
3.1 The implementation of Local School
Operational Grant Process
This research will describe how the implementation
process proceeds, whether or not there is a standard
implementation, how a number of sources is used for
implementation process, how the communication
between organizations is established, how the
executor’s attitude is, and etc.
The implementation of Local School Operational
Grant is conducted in the following stages: (1)
determining the operational cost of education unit;
(2) regulation development; (3) socialization to
society and school; (4) school income and expense
budget development; (5) activity process; and (6)
monitoring.
3.1.1 Determination of Operational Cost of
Education Unit
The implementation of education policy through
Local School Operational Grant started with
operational cost calculation per students.
Corresponding to the calculation of Operational Cost
of Education Unit was conducted by Local
Government Education Service and USAID per
school level/per students subtracted with Central and
Provincial BOS amount, the difference becomes the
responsibility of City/Regency Government
ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences
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allocated through Local School Operational Grant
(BOSDA) in program and activity.
3.1.2 Regulation Development
Education policy in region (Local School
Operational Cost) is often the manifestation of Local
Leader’s vision and mission elaborated then in
Medium-Term Local Development Plan (thereafter
called RPJMD). To explain the RPJMD document
technically, the region develops next regulation,
Local Head Regulation in the form of technical
guidelines of School Income and Expense Budget
(APBS).
Local Leader regulation governs: (a) school
operational cost generally including BOSDA
distribution mechanism, BOSDA fund use; (b)
School Income and Expense Budget (APBS)
including APBS structure and APBS development
procedure; (c) the management of APBS deriving
from BOSDA including the BOSDA financial
management organizational structure, Budget User
Authority, PPTK, Expense Assistant Treasurer,
Activity Executor in Public Elementary
School/SDLBN, Expense Assistant Treasurer; (d)
APBS implementation and APBS and Change; (e)
school financial expense administration; (f) account
code; (g) reporting; (h) monitoring, evaluation, and
supervision; and (i) BOSDA fund use prohibition as
well as its sanction.
3.1.3 Socialization to Society and School
Socialization is made through inviting the students’
parents to school aiming to give them explanation
about policy of Local School Operational Grant and
to absorb society’s aspiration. Meanwhile,
socialization given to school is the explanation of
Local Head Regulation material. The socialization
aimed to get equal understanding pertaining to the
substance of policy.
To effectively implement policies and achieve
policy goals, gaining sufficient public support is an
essential prerequisite; the policies would be in ruins
and the government may also suffer from setbacks in
other policy areas in the absence of public support
(Wan et al., 2017).
3.1.4 School Income and Expense Budget
Development
Every education unit or school obligatorily develops
School Income and Expense Budget (APBS) in the
attempt of managing education fund orderly at
school.
The School Income and Expense Plan (thereafter
called RAPBS) is the school income and expense
budget plan in one fiscal year.
Before developing RAPBS, the school is
required to have four-year Medium-Term Plan as the
basis of Annual Work Plan (thereafter called RKT)
development in the form of School Work and
Budget Plan (thereafter called RKAS). The School
Work and Budget Plan (RKAS) is explored from all
teachers and employees to determine activity
priority scale.
RKAS signed by headmaster, school committee
and authority of budget users is developed into
RAPBS. Before RAPBS has been legalized,
verification would be carried out first by the team
established by local leader consisting of: planner,
financial, development administration and
supervisor elements. To realize the transparency,
APBS is posted on announcement board or uploaded
in school website.
3.1.5 Activity Process
Local School Operational Grant intended to public
school under local government’s authority budgeted
in program and activity forms, while that intended to
private school and madrasah under Religion
Ministry is budgeted through bequest expense.
All school activities are carried out by Technical
Activity Executive Officials (PPTK) or activity
executor. The executor of activity is required to be
responsible administratively and physically for the
activity implementation to Budget User/Budget User
Authority. Headmaster develops APBS realization
report quarterly delivered to Education Service’s
Chairperson.
3.1.6 Monitoring
Monitoring is done for the following reasons: to
detect trends, to investigate the impact of an event,
and to determine the basic conditions (Caunii et al.,.
2014). The supervision of school’s financial
organization is carried out by service chairperson
and local functional supervisor corresponding to the
enacted legislation. Service Chairperson establishes
monitoring and evaluating team in conducting
monitoring.
3.2 Factors Affecting the
Implementation of BOSDA
From the result of research, it can be found that
many factors affect the implementation of Local
The Implementation of Education Policy in Local Areas
75

School Operational Grant, including either
supporting or inhibiting factor. Referring to Van
Meter and Van Horn’s concept in its implementation
process model, it will be seen whether some factors
functions to support or to inhibit.
It was found that four factors including:
economic and social macro-environment;
institutional arrangements; inter-organizational
relations and inter-organizational coordination
structures; and interest groups were influential in the
implementation of tourism policy (Wang & Ap,
2013). Education and training and participation of
trading partners positively affect the extent of
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) usage (Kim &
Lee, 2008).
3.2.1 Standard Regulation and Target of
Policy
Standard regulation and target of policy in a policy
implementation are important. Implementation
process will be conducted easily when the executor
understand its standard implementation rule.
Without standard implementation, a policy will be
implemented difficultly.
The intended standard rule is Local Regulation
followed up with Local Leader Regulation. The
clarity of standard implementation rule makes the
Local School Operational Grant implementation
process run smoothly, despite compulsively
regulation corresponding to the need in the
implementation. Potential problem will arise
frequently as the local government’s authority
changes in High Education level (Senior High and
Vocational Middle Schools). Corresponding to Law
Number 32 of 2004 about Local Government
amended with Law Number 23 of 2014, entire
management (asset, teacher and students) of high
education (Senior High and Vocational Middle
Schools) is delegated by Regency/Municipal
Government to Provincial Government. As a result,
the policy of administering Local School
Operational Grant for Senior High and Vocational
Middle Schools from Regency/Municipal
Government does not have legal foundation.
3.2.2 Resource Availability
The process of implementing a policy will be
successful when it is supported with adequate
resource availability. Including into resource
category here is the availability of fund, human
resource and facility, and other supporting
infrastructure.
In relation to fund, Local Government prepares
fund by allocating budget in APBD. Meanwhile, in
the attempt of implementing education policy, local
government should prepare adequate human
resource availability. The improvement of
executors’ capacity is conducted by holding
technical guidance to headmaster. Limited human
resource quality and quantity are the factors
inhibiting the implementation of policy.
Low status of teachers, low salary and abroad
internships for teaching staff, distrust towards higher
education influence implementation of education
policy (Maratovna, 2014).
3.2.3 Communication between Executive
Organizations
Communication is the factor contributing very
considerably to realizing the successful
implementation. Communication serves to deliver
various existing information. Communication
conducted is usually in the form of coordination
between executors. The presence of information
technology makes the communication process run
effectively.
Social media enable and facilitate the shaping of
organizational rhetorical practices by (i) adding
multivocality; (ii) increasing reach and richness in
communication, and (iii) enabling simultaneous
consumption and co-production of rhetorical content
(Huang et al., 2013).
3.2.4 Executive Bureaucratic Structure
Organizational structure has impact of cross
levels on performance of new product
development team, cross functional integration of
the team has a partial mediating effect between
the mechanical organization and the performance
of the new product (Bai, 2017). Policy
implementation process will run well when it
supported with good bureaucratic structure. The
executive bureaucratic structure including
characteristics, norms and pattern of relationship
affects significantly the successful implementation.
In relation to Local School Operational Grant policy,
the engagement of school as financial manager
supported with other Local Apparatus Work Unit
indicates a responsive bureaucratic structure.
3.2.5 Social, Economic, and Politic
Environment
Economic, social, and politic conditions also affect
the effectiveness of policy implementation. The
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good economic condition can support the
implementation of policy. Local School Operational
Grant (BOSDA) will indirectly affect the economic
level of family, particularly students’ parent or
guardian, helped in paying their children’s tuition.
Similarly, in relation to social and political
factors, the Local School Operational Grant
(BOSDA) policy gets strong political support
because it is a part of the manifestation of Local
Head’s vision and mission, and the local superior
policy. According to Wan et al. (2017), political
factors that influence level of policy support based
on existing literature.
Implementing the right to education fully and
equitably is a challenge. It requires sustained
political will, financial investment and policy
innovation. It is also an enormous opportunity
(Heymann et al., 2014).
4 CONCLUSIONS
The result of research showed that generally, the
Process of Implementing Local School Operational
Grant (BOSDA) policy in local area (region) has
been implemented well and benefited the school
(society). The successful implementation of
education policy in local area is evidently supported
by such factors as regulation, budget availability,
communication between executives, executive
bureaucratic structure, and economic, social, and
political environment support. Nevertheless, there
are some factors inhibiting the implementation of
Local School Operational Grant policy: limited
human resource, quantitatively and qualitatively. In
addition, the problem of regulation as the legal
foundation of policy should also be taken into
account in order to prevent the hesitation from
occurring among the stakeholders in local areas
(region) and to prevent the benefit loss in the policy
implemented previously.
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