Education Policy In Border Areas: A Narrative Literature Review

This study explores the challenges and solutions of education policy in border areas through a narrative literature review approach. Based on an analysis of 13 previous research articles, it was found that border areas face significant constraints in the education sector, including limited infrastructure, lack of qualified teaching staff and low community participation. Existing education policies are often inappropriate for the specific conditions of border areas, requiring adjustments that take into account local characteristics and the active involvement of all stakeholders. Proposed solutions include collaborative approaches, strengthening locally-based character education and improving educational infrastructure and resources. In addition, the government is expected to improve the quality and welfare of educators through special incentives and professional training. Effective education policies that are responsive to local needs are expected to improve the equity and quality of education in border areas, providing equal opportunities for all children to get a quality education. The results of this study emphasize the importance of regular policy monitoring and evaluation to ensure successful implementation.


INTRODUCTION
Border regions often face unique and complex challenges in the education sector (Van Hook & Glick, 2020).Limited access to education facilities is one of the main issues.In many border areas, the number of primary and secondary schools is very limited, so students have to travel long distances to reach the nearest school (Hafsari et al., 2022;Maulido et al., 2024).
In addition, the quality of available facilities is often inadequate, including decent classrooms, libraries, laboratories and sports facilities, all of which negatively impact the quality of learning and students' well-being.Alunaza & Sudagung (2020) in their research mentioned that many teachers choose to return to their home areas due to inadequate school conditions.The shortage of qualified teaching staff is also a serious problem.Many schools in border areas experience a shortage of adequate teachers, with an insufficient number of teachers and low qualifications (Bustang et al., 2018).Teachers in these areas often lack adequate training and professional development, and face difficult working conditions and a lack of incentives, leading to high teacher turnover rates and negatively affecting the stability and continuity of teaching (Nurfatimah et al., 2022).Inadequate infrastructure is also a major challenge.Poor road conditions and inadequate transportation infrastructure make access to schools difficult, especially during the rainy season.In addition, many schools in border areas still do not have access to stable electricity and internet connection, which hinders the use of technology in the learning process and access to wider learning resources.Long distances to education centers add to the difficulties for students, with inadequate transportation and limited boarding or accommodation facilities, so students have to commute daily over long distances, which drains their energy and time.
Low socioeconomic conditions in border areas exacerbate education problems.High levels of poverty affect families' ability to support their children's education, with many children having to work to help the family economy, thus sacrificing their time to study.Parents' low education levels and lack of awareness of the importance of education are additional barriers, resulting in a lack of support and motivation for children to pursue higher education.In addition, cultural and linguistic diversity in border areas adds to the complexity of the education problem.The difference between the language of instruction used at school and the daily language at home creates difficulties in the learning process, and ethnic and cultural diversity can be a challenge in creating an inclusive and harmonious learning environment.Together, these factors result in low levels of educational participation and the quality of education received by students in border areas, leaving them often behind students in other areas in terms of academic achievement and opportunities for higher education.
Although various programs have been launched by the government, many of them have not been able to significantly improve the quality of education in border areas.One of the main factors is the limited implementation and monitoring of these programs.Infrastructure built in border areas is often not well maintained, so it is damaged and cannot be used optimally.
The many education problems that occur in border areas certainly have an impact on national resilience (Aina et al., 2021;Irhamsyah, 2019).Alunaza & Sudagung (2020) mentioned that almost all residents in border villages use education facilities from neighboring countries for free.The government has a crucial role in addressing education issues in border areas through appropriate and effective policies.Education policies specifically designed to address the challenges in border areas are essential to ensure that all children, regardless of their geographical location, have equal access to quality education.These policies should cover various aspects, from infrastructure development, improving the quality and quantity of teaching staff, to providing special programs and assistance to support students and teachers.Overall, comprehensive and sustainable government policy interventions are needed to address education issues in border areas (Aina et al., 2021).With the right policies, the government can ensure that all children, regardless of their geographical location, have equal opportunities for quality education, which in turn will improve their quality of life and their contribution to regional and state development.
Some examples of policies that have been implemented include the development and improvement of education infrastructure through programs such as "Sekolah Tapal Batas", which establishes schools with adequate facilities in border areas to ensure equal access to education, and the revitalization of remote schools, which includes renovating buildings, providing learning facilities, and improving basic facilities such as clean water and electricity.To improve the quality and quantity of teaching staff, the government runs the "Guru Garis Depan (GGD)" program which sends qualified teachers to border areas with special incentives and facility support, and provides special allowances for teachers serving in remote areas to improve their welfare.
In addition, the government provides special programs and assistance such as the "Program Indonesia Pintar (PIP)" which provides tuition assistance for students from underprivileged families in border areas, and "Bantuan Operasional Sekolah" (BOS) for special region which provides additional funding for school operations in border areas, supporting teaching and learning activities and educational facilities.Community development and collaboration programs are also in place, such as "Desa Pintar" which is a collaborative program to improve the quality of education in border villages through infrastructure development and teacher training, and partnerships with international agencies such as UNICEF and UNESCO to improve access and quality of education in remote areas.These policies aim to address the challenges in the education sector in border areas and ensure that all children have equal opportunities for quality education.
Although various programs have been launched by the government, many of them have not been able to significantly improve the quality of education in border areas.One of the main factors is the limited implementation and monitoring of these programs.The infrastructure built is often not well maintained, so it is damaged and cannot be used optimally.Based on this description, it is known that there are still a number of challenges in implementing education programs in border areas.Therefore, it is important to find out more about the effectiveness of these programs, the factors that can influence and hinder these programs and policy recommendations that can be made so that the programs that have been initiated by the government can improve the quality of education in the border areas.This paper aims to conduct a narrative literature review on the effectiveness of education policies in border areas.

METHOD
This research method uses the Narrative Literature Review approach to explore education policy in border areas.Narrative Literature Review is a research method used to compile, analyze and synthesize literature relevant to a particular research topic.This approach aims to describe, summarize and interpret findings from various existing literature sources in a narrative manner, without conducting formal statistical analysis (Pradana et al., 2021).
The data search process was conducted through the Publish or Perish application by utilizing the Google Scholar database.The search was conducted with the keywords "border education policy", "border education", "border school program", and "frontline teacher program".The searched data was filtered based on the time span from 2020 to 2024.The next step was to screen the journals found.Screening was done by checking the relevance of the journals to the topics to be discussed in this study.Journals that are irrelevant or not in accordance with the focus of the research will be excluded from the list.Based on the screening results, a total of 13 journals related to education policy in border areas were found.These journals will be the main materials in this narrative literature review research.Each selected journal will be analyzed in depth to gain a comprehensive understanding of education policies in border areas, as well as the factors that influence their implementation.The data will be analyzed by identifying patterns, trends and important findings from each selected journal.The information obtained from the journals will be used to develop a comprehensive narrative on the effectiveness of education policies in border areas, the barriers faced and policy recommendations to improve the quality of education in border areas.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Based on the review of 13 research articles related to education policy in border areas, some research results from each article can be described as follows: Overall, the study identified key challenges in education policy in border areas, including a lack of understanding and proper policy implementation, the dominance of formal political actors, and limited infrastructure and resources.The proposed solutions involve collaborative approaches, strengthening locally-based character education and tailoring policies to the specific conditions of border areas.This research emphasizes the importance of involving all stakeholders in formulating and implementing education policies to achieve equity and improve the quality of education in border areas.
Discussions on education policy in border areas show that policy adjustment to local needs is crucial.Research by Dimmera et al (2023) and Rochmawati et al (2021) found that education policies often do not fit the specific conditions of border areas, so there needs to be adjustments that take into account local characteristics such as population density and accessibility.Collaboration between stakeholders is also key to successful education policy implementation.Rupita et al (2021) andNBC et al., (2021)emphasize the importance of collaboration between the government, schools and communities to create a supportive educational environment, especially in emergency situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The provision of adequate infrastructure and resources is another important factor.Yoku et al (2023) and Brata (2020) highlighted the urgent need for improved education infrastructure in border areas, such as classrooms and laboratories.Alui & Fathurrahman (2024) emphasized the importance of equitable distribution of educational resources to address educational inequality.Strengthening locally-based character education is also very important (Alui & Fathurrahman, 2024).Syamsijulianto et al., (2022) and Atmaja et al (2020) showed that the implementation of character education in accordance with local values can help shape students' personal integrity and adaptiveness.
Curriculum development that is responsive to local needs, as proposed by Rosmana et al., (2023) can improve the relevance and effectiveness of education.In addition, improving the quality and welfare of educators, as identified by Itasari (2021) and Dimmera & Purnasari (2020), is crucial to improving the quality of education.Community participation and understanding are also crucial.Rupita et al (2021) noted that community education and involvement in the decisionmaking process and implementation of education policies are crucial to ensure the success of education programs.Finally, policy monitoring and evaluation, as proposed by Dimmera & Purnasari (2020) can help identify problems and implement necessary improvements.
Overall, the success of education policy in border areas requires an integrative, adaptive and collaborative approach.Adjusting policies to local conditions, improving infrastructure and resources, and active participation from all stakeholders are key factors in achieving equity and improving the quality of education in border areas.This comprehensive approach is expected to overcome the existing challenges and have a positive impact on education in border areas.
To improve the quality of education in border areas, the government needs to adapt policies to local needs, improve infrastructure and resources, and strengthen collaboration between stakeholders.Curriculum development that is responsive to local potential, improving the quality and welfare of educators, and educating and involving communities in the education process are essential.In addition, regular policy monitoring and evaluation, as well as strengthening locallybased character education, will ensure the effectiveness and relevance of education policies.Incentive support for teaching staff in remote areas, as well as the provision of adequate facilities and infrastructure, will help create equity and improve the quality of education in border areas.With these measures, the government can ensure that all children, regardless of geographical location, have equal access to quality education.

CONCLUSION
The conclusion of this study shows that education policy in border areas still faces significant challenges, including a lack of understanding and proper policy implementation, the dominance of formal political actors, and limited infrastructure and human resources.Despite various initiatives and programs that have been launched, such as the "Merdeka Belajar, Kampus Merdeka" policy and the Smart Indonesia Program, their effectiveness is still not optimal in achieving equity and improving the quality of education in border areas.The proposed solution involves a collaborative approach involving all stakeholders, strengthening local-based character education, and adjusting policies to the specific conditions of border areas.This research emphasizes the importance of involving all parties, including the government, schools, communities and informal political actors, in formulating and implementing education policies.
To achieve equity and improve the quality of education in border areas, the government needs to adjust policies based on local needs, improve infrastructure and resources, and strengthen collaboration between stakeholders.In addition, regular policy monitoring and evaluation as well as strengthening locally-based character education are also important steps to ensure the effectiveness and relevance of education policies in border areas.With these steps, it is expected that access to and quality of education in border areas can improve significantly.