The dynamics of English education in Indonesia : stakeholders' perspective on the policy shift of English subject from elective to compulsory in elementary school level

Abstract

The status of English as a subject in elementary schools in Indonesia has shifted from elective to compulsory. Recently, Ministerial Regulation No. 12 of 2024, which states that English will be a compulsory subject in elementary schools in the 2027/2028 academic year, has revived discussions about educational priorities, language policy, and the balance between global competitiveness and national educational goals. This study aimed to explore how key stakeholders interpret, justify, and respond to the policy shift as English becomes a compulsory subject in elementary school. This descriptive qualitative interpretative study collected data through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. This study collected with one policymaker, two elementary school English teachers, and two parents and was complemented by an analysis of eight national policy documents. This study integrated Spolsky's Language Policy Framework and Fullan's Educational Change Theory while utilizing Discourse Network Analysis (DNA) as a tool to support the analyses of stakeholder narratives and policy documents. The study identifies three key patterns. First, stakeholders interpreted the policy change through three key frames categorized as English as human capital, the English competency gap in Indonesia, and the language ecology of multilingual Indonesia. Second, the stakeholders justified the policy based on educational, socio-economic, political-regulatory, and linguistic considerations. Third, while stakeholders exhibited broad support for the policy, they expressed anxiety regarding teacher scarcity, educational resource imbalance, preparedness for policy execution, and the sustainability of future policy pathways. The findings provide a detailed account of the need for political will, institutional readiness, stakeholder engagement, and the succession of educational support in the implementation of policy.