Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s education and energy ministries are speeding up electricity access for schools to support digital learning, including in remote, frontier and least-developed areas, the education ministry said on Wednesday.
Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Fajar Riza Ul Haq said reliable electricity was essential to the success of the government’s digital learning program and the effective use of digital equipment in classrooms.
“Digital learning must not stop at distributing devices, but must truly expand access and improve the quality of learning. We want to ensure the entire supporting ecosystem is ready,” Fajar said.
He said digital devices must be supported by sufficient and reliable electricity so they can deliver their intended benefits in schools.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education recorded demand for around 713,000 Digital Interactive Boards (PID) in 2026, with each unit requiring between 2,200 and 3,500 volt-amperes (VA) of electrical capacity.
The ministry’s verification identified 227,365 education units requiring electricity support, including 26,162 requiring new connections and 201,203 requiring additional capacity.
Fajar said particular attention was being given to 9,544 education units that cannot yet be served by the existing grid operated by state utility company PLN.
For those schools, the ministry and other relevant institutions are discussing alternative electricity solutions based on local conditions, including battery-based solar power and off-grid systems.
Fajar said cross-sector cooperation could help the government meet its targets faster and ensure President Prabowo Subianto’s Quick Results Program (PHTC) reaches areas that have long faced limited basic infrastructure.
“We are optimistic that with strong cooperation, we can achieve this target faster. President Prabowo’s PHTC will reach more remote areas so children in 3T regions have equal opportunities to benefit from the transformation of learning,” Fajar said.
Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung said electricity needs for digital learning could be integrated with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources’ Village Electricity Program, known as Lisdes.
He said coordination among ministries could accelerate implementation while reducing costs by optimizing existing programs and infrastructure.
“We are integrating the Village Electricity Program with the electricity needs of digital learning. By 2029, we are targeting electricity access for all villages in Indonesia,” Yuliot said.
He said some educational facilities would need accelerated electricity connections and that cross-ministry and institutional cooperation could support the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s efforts.
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Translator: Hana Dewi Kinarina K, Martha Herlinawati Simanjunt
Editor: Primayanti
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