Jakarta, Indonesia — The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has formally addressed a widely circulated and controversial social media video depicting an elementary school in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) that reportedly received advanced digital learning displays despite lacking basic electrical infrastructure. During a comprehensive working session with Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) on Monday, September 21, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti clarified the factual background of the incident, pushing back against what he termed inaccurate portrayals circulating online while outlining the government’s broader strategy for educational technology and infrastructure integration.
The controversy centers around SDN Mboeng, a public elementary school situated in a remote region of NTT. The institution recently became the focal point of public scrutiny after video footage emerged on various social media platforms showing what users initially described as a Smart TV installed in a classroom devoid of electricity. Critics online quickly pointed to the situation as an example of misallocated government resources, arguing that providing high-tech educational tools to schools lacking fundamental utilities like power was both impractical and wasteful.
However, Minister Mu’ti provided a detailed technical and operational breakdown that contested the prevailing narrative on social media. According to the minister, the device depicted in the viral video is not a standard television set, but rather an Interactive Flat Panel (IFP), a sophisticated digital learning tool designed to facilitate modern, interactive pedagogy. Furthermore, Mu’ti clarified that the specific IFP unit and classroom featured in the viral clip were temporarily non-functional due to localized damage, while other classrooms within the same school complex possessed fully operational digital boards and electrical facilities.
"Regarding the viral news concerning a state elementary school in NTT, the information circulating on social media is actually inaccurate," Mu’ti stated during the parliamentary hearing. "That particular SDN has several classrooms, and the others are still functioning. So the unit in the video is currently non-damaged or not functioning, but the other classrooms are operational, and their IFPs are working properly as well."
The Parliamentary Inquiry and Contextual Background
The issue was formally brought to the floor by Bonnie Triyana, a member of Commission X from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). During the proceedings, Triyana raised concerns about the logistical disconnect between distributing advanced technology and ensuring the physical infrastructure was prepared to support it. He specifically highlighted SDN Mboeng, reiterating public apprehensions that advanced hardware like digital smart boards risk degradation and obsolescence if left unpowered and uninstalled for extended periods.
"We saw the viral reports regarding a school in NTT, SDN Mboeng, which received a smart board but turned out to have no electricity in the school building itself," Triyana noted. "It received a smart board that could not be installed, and perhaps if it remains unused for too long, it will inevitably break down."
The concerns voiced by lawmakers underscore a persistent logistical hurdle in Indonesia’s educational landscape: bridging the digital divide across a sprawling archipelago characterized by significant disparities in regional infrastructure. While the central government has aggressively pursued national digital transformation agendas to modernize classrooms and enhance learning outcomes, remote and peripheral areas frequently encounter structural bottlenecks, including unstable power grids, lack of internet connectivity, and physical deterioration of school buildings.
Chronology of Events and Ministry Response
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has been monitoring the situation closely, moving swiftly to assess the site and formulate remedial actions. Prior to the parliamentary hearing, Moch. Salim Somad, Director of Elementary Schools at the ministry, detailed the sequence of actions taken by educational authorities following the initial reports.
According to Salim, ministry officials were deployed directly to SDN Mboeng to conduct an on-site physical evaluation of the premises, verify infrastructure needs, and identify classrooms suffering from severe structural damage.
"The ministry has already descended directly to the location, immediately addressing and repairing classrooms that suffered heavy damage or were classified as emergencies," Salim stated in an official release on Wednesday, September 9.
Addressing the discrepancy regarding the delivery of the digital hardware to an apparently unpowered facility, Salim explained that the distribution was executed based on official data recorded within the Education Basic Data (Dapodik) system. According to the national database entries submitted by local educational authorities, SDN Mboeng was officially registered as having an active electricity source. Consequently, the institution met the administrative criteria to be included as a recipient of the educational display units designed to elevate instructional quality in alignment with national education standards.
Four Pillars of the Ministry’s Digitalization Strategy
Expanding upon the broader policy framework, Minister Mu’ti outlined the ministry’s four-tier commitment to executing a comprehensive digitalization program across Indonesian schools. This strategy is deliberately structured to address hardware, human resources, and connectivity concurrently to prevent isolated distribution anomalies.
The first pillar involves the procurement and distribution of Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs) to modernize classroom instruction. Recognizing that advanced hardware is ineffective without proper pedagogical training, the second pillar focuses extensively on teacher capacity-building programs, ensuring that educators possess the technical literacy required to integrate digital tools into daily lesson plans. The third pillar encompasses the provision of portable computing devices, specifically laptops, for both instructional staff and students. Finally, the fourth pillar centers on securing reliable network access.
Mu’ti emphasized that network access under the fourth pillar is bifurcated into two essential components: internet connectivity and electrical power infrastructure. Acknowledging that many institutions in remote regions face severe deficits in both areas, the ministry has established targeted intervention frameworks.
For schools situated beyond the reach of conventional terrestrial internet infrastructure—particularly those classified within the 3T regions (Tertinggal, Terdepan, and Terluar, or Disadvantaged, Frontier, and Outermost regions)—the ministry has deployed satellite-based internet solutions.
"For internet access that is not yet available, we assist through Starlink, and we have already implemented this in 3T regions because the costs are very affordable and the deployment is proven," Mu’ti explained.
Simultaneously, for institutions lacking reliable access to electrical power, the ministry is pursuing a dual-track remediation scheme. The first approach involves outfitting schools with standalone solar panel systems to harness renewable energy directly on-site. The second approach entails infrastructural collaboration with state electricity enterprise PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) to construct new power distribution grids extending to isolated school buildings.
"We have already held discussions with PLN regarding the construction of this electrical grid infrastructure, so God willing, moving forward, we can execute this as effectively as possible," the minister added.
Broader Implications for National Education Policy
The incident at SDN Mboeng and the subsequent parliamentary discourse highlight the complex realities of implementing sweeping national policies in a geographically diverse nation. As Indonesia continues to accelerate its educational modernization drive, the gap between policy formulation in Jakarta and ground-level execution in remote provinces remains a central administrative challenge.
Education analysts note that while nationwide digitalization is a critical imperative for preparing students for a technology-driven global economy, hardware distribution must be strictly synchronized with rigorous infrastructural audits. Premature deployment of sophisticated digital assets without guaranteed power and connectivity risks public skepticism and inefficient capital allocation. However, the proactive response demonstrated by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education—combining on-site damage assessments, infrastructural partnerships with PLN, satellite internet deployment, and transparent parliamentary accountability—signals a concerted institutional effort to rectify systemic bottlenecks and ensure equitable access to quality education for students across the entire archipelago.
