PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The West Java (Jabar) Education Office (Disdik) is collaborating with 12 Muhammadiyah and 'Aisyiyah Universities (PTMA) to help resolve the problem of out-of-school children (ATS) in West Java.

This commitment emerged in the ATS Mapping Workshop with the West Java Education Office and PTMA throughout West Java which was held at Muhammadiyah University Bandung, Thursday (4/6/2026).

Based on data from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, West Java is recorded as the province with the highest number of ATS in Indonesia, reaching 379,373 children.

The Head of the West Java Education Office, Purwanto, said that the involvement of PTMA is expected to help improve the validity of ATS data, as well as speed up its handling in the field.

"Muhammadiyah has long proven capable of solving the community's problems using its resources. This is a significant asset for addressing the problem of children not attending school in West Java," he said.

Through the impactful Community Service Program (KKN), he added, students from PTMA will verify the ATS data released by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education directly in the field.

The verification results then become the basis for returning children registered as ATS to formal schools or Community Learning Activity Centers (PKBM).

The Head of the Education Office also targets this collaboration to reduce the ATS rate in West Java by at least 20 percent. "I hope that we can resolve at least 20 percent of the problem of children not attending school in West Java together with PTMA," he said.

In addition to focusing on ATS management, the West Java Education Office and PTMA also plan to develop joint KKN guidelines that will apply throughout West Java to ensure student service programs are more focused and impactful.

According to the Head of the Education Office, this collaboration also has the potential to be developed to assist local governments in detecting and preventing stunting.

This workshop, coordinated by the Ministry of Education, is the first step in strengthening synergy between universities and local governments to ensure all children have access to education. "Together with universities, we will make West Java free of ATS," he concluded.

(Rep pun/bhf)