WFIEd and Education Center RICE UM Hold an Audience with the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia to Promote Sustainable Programs in Inclusive Education

On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, the World Forum for Inclusive Education (WFIEd) held an audience with the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemensos RI) at the ministry’s headquarters in Jakarta. The session was opened by Mr. Raditya Mahendra, Head of the Program and Reporting Work Team at the Secretariat of the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation. The meeting was also attended by officials from various technical directorates of the Ministry, including the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation for Disaster and Emergency Victims, the Directorate of Child Social Rehabilitation, the Directorate of Elderly Social Rehabilitation, and the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities. Representing WFIEd, the President, Mr. Ediyanto, M.Pd., Ph.D., attended the meeting in person along with his team.

During the audience, Ediyanto, M.Pd., Ph.D., Education Center, Research Institute and Community Engagement, Universitas Negeri Malang and President of WFIEd, explained that the World Forum for Inclusive Education (WFIEd) is an international organization established in 2022 and officially registered with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia in 2024. This initiative reflects WFIEd’s strong commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 10 on reducing inequalities through inclusive education collaboration and Goal 16 on promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions by strengthening cross-border educational partnerships, as well as supporting UNESCO’s mission to provide inclusive and quality education equitably for alCurrently, WFIEd has a membership network in 17 countries and aims to expand to 50 countries by 2035. To respond to the global need for cross-sector inclusive education, WFIEd has designed five flagship programs and is also planning to establish regional chapters in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia. In the near future, WFIEd will host its Annual Member Meeting and a Focus Group Discussion for the Indonesia Chapter.

During the session, Kemensos RI conveyed that 30 Technical Implementation Units (UPT) have already implemented services aligned with WFIEd’s principles of inclusion. Moreover, the Ministry emphasized its 12 strategic objectives, which include support for persons with disabilities, disaster victims, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups, all of which are funded by the State Budget (APBN). The Directorate of Child Social Rehabilitation highlighted the importance of integrating special attention services for children with special needs into social and educational systems. The Directorate of Elderly Social Rehabilitation recommended introducing a curriculum on awareness and respect for the elderly from an early age. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities expressed hope that WFIEd could develop an international competency standard for inclusive education that could serve as a national reference.

In his response, the WFIEd President emphasized that inclusion is not limited to persons with disabilities but also encompasses other vulnerable groups such as disaster victims, former inmates, drug users, and other marginalized communities. WFIEd expressed its aspiration to establish a more concrete partnership with Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia RI, including mutual participation in each other’s programs. Expected support includes capacity building for human resources, joint development of inclusive policies, and knowledge exchange at both national and international levels.

The audience concluded with optimism for follow-up in the form of technical discussions with relevant units within Kemensos RI that share a common mission. Both parties expressed readiness to explore strategic collaboration to realize the shared goal of achieving Education for All and strengthening inclusive and sustainable social development in Indonesia.

Jakarta, June 17, 2025

World Forum for Inclusive Education (WFIEd)

at the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia