School Zoning Policy and Equalization of Education Access for Poor Students in YOGYAKARTA City

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of school zoning policies on equal access to education for underprivileged students in Yogyakarta City. This research was motivated by the low quality and inadequate access to education for underprivileged students in Indonesia. Starting in 2018, the Central Government implemented a school zoning policy to improve the quality and equitable access to education for underprivileged families in every region. This research was carried out in 16 State Junior High Schools in Yogyakarta City. This was the research location because it was one of the national pilot areas chosen by the Central Government. A quantitative approach was used to evaluate secondary school data before and after the implementation of the zoning policy. The results showed that: (1) there was an increase in access to education for underprivileged students; and (2) the imbalance in the quality of favorite and non-favorite schools did not change and this was influenced by the economic conditions of each region. It can be concluded that the school zoning policy increased equal access to education for underprivileged students, but the next challenge for the Yogyakarta City Government is ensuring equal quality of education across junior high schools. Keywords: school zoning policy, equal access, junior high school, underprivileged studen