History of the organization

History of the Association of Indonesian SPK Schools

SPK (Satuan Pendidikan Kerja Sama) is a designation given by the Indonesian government to schools in collaboration with foreign educational institutions, effective since 2014. This policy came alongside the revocation of the "international school" status and the prohibition of using the word ?international? in school names in Indonesia. In the early stages of implementing the SPK regulation, many SPK schools faced challenges in both understanding and applying the new policies. To learn from one another, several SPK schools took the initiative to form an informal discussion forum.

Seeing the significant benefits of this forum, the idea emerged to establish a more formal association, as encouraged by the Ministry of Education and Culture, to serve as a platform for expressing the aspirations of SPK schools. This platform was expected to foster synergy and mutual support in delivering quality education that not only meets national standards but also aligns with international standards.

On August 31, 2015, around 20 SPK schools gathered at SIS South Jakarta (formerly SIS Bona Vista) to align their vision regarding the formation of an official body to represent SPK schools in Indonesia?an event that later became known as the First SPK Convention. This initiative led to the appointment of an interim board, tasked with establishing a legally recognized association, which was officially formed on March 2, 2016 under the name "Perkumpulan Sekolah SPK Indonesia" (The Association of Indonesian SPK Schools).

On January 19, 2017, the first official board of the Association of Indonesian SPK Schools (PSSI) was inaugurated during the Second National SPK Convention in Jakarta. After serving one full term, extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first board?s tenure officially ended on November 19, 2021 through an Extraordinary General Meeting of Members, during which Haifa Segeir was re-elected as Chairperson for a second term, covering the period from 2021 to 2024.

Throughout its journey, the Association has been actively involved in policy discussions?both on SPK-specific policies and broader national education policies. The Association has also shown strong support for the Merdeka Belajar (Freedom to Learn) program, with involvement in the Guru Penggerak (Teacher Leadership) initiative as expert coaches, facilitators, and module developers.

Currently, the Association continues to collaborate with various regional education offices in outreach programs focused on improving the competencies of educators and education personnel, as well as delivering humanitarian aid for natural disaster victims, particularly school-aged children.