Improving education quality in Konawe Selatan Regency requires more than government funding and school-level efforts. A study by Sulsalman Moita of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Halu Oleo University, highlights the importance of collaboration among teacher organizations, the Education Council, school principals, teacher forums, school committees, parents, and the wider community.
The findings are presented in the
article Strategy for Strengthening Stakeholder Capacity to Improve the
Quality of Education in Konawe Selatan Regency, published in the International
Journal of Integrative Research (IJIR), Volume 4, Issue 9, in 2026, on
pages 837–848. The manuscript was received on July 4, revised on August 24, and
accepted on September 26, 2026.
The study finds that improving
education quality depends on strengthening stakeholder capacity through
competency development, professional development for teachers and school
principals, coordination, supervision, communication, and community participation.
However, stronger coordination and synergy among stakeholders are still needed
to ensure that education programs are integrated and sustainable.
Education Challenges Extend
Beyond Schools
Education quality is influenced
by many factors, including teacher competence, school facilities, education
costs, curriculum development, governance, and community participation.
In Konawe Selatan, educational
challenges include high dropout rates at the secondary level, less-than-optimal
teacher competence, education costs, frequently changing curricula, and
inadequate infrastructure. At the same time, education policies that emphasize
short-term targets may not always support a sustainable approach to educational
development.
These challenges are particularly
significant because Konawe Selatan has 511 schools: 340 elementary
schools, 110 junior high schools, 50 senior high schools, and 11 vocational
high schools. The scale of the education system requires coordination among
local government, schools, teachers, parents, and communities.
Moita argues that large education
budgets do not automatically produce better educational outcomes if
stakeholders do not have the capacity to manage and use those resources
effectively.
Education, therefore, needs to be
treated as a shared responsibility. Government institutions play roles in
policy and funding, while schools, teachers, professional organizations,
parents, and communities contribute to planning, implementation, monitoring,
and evaluation.
Study Examined Multiple
Education Stakeholders
The study was conducted in Konawe
Selatan Regency and involved various education stakeholders as sources of
information. These included heads of education technical units, school
principals, teachers, school supervisors, school committee members, parents,
community leaders, government officials, and students.
Data were collected through
in-depth interviews, observations, questionnaires, and document analysis. The
researcher also checked data credibility through triangulation, sustained
interaction with research participants, and discussions with knowledgeable
peers.
The analysis identified seven
stakeholder groups with strategic roles in improving education quality in
Konawe Selatan.
1. Teacher Organizations Need
to Strengthen Competence
Teacher organizations can serve
as platforms for professional development through training, mentoring,
workshops, seminars, and other academic activities.
In Konawe Selatan, organizations
such as the Indonesian Teachers Association (Ikatan Guru Indonesia/IGI) are
positioned to strengthen teachers’ pedagogical and professional competencies.
Training activities cover learning models, curriculum implementation, lesson
planning, and scientific writing.
Moita also highlights the
importance of strengthening internal and external networks, using digital
technology as a learning and communication tool, and developing partnerships
with local government to identify and address education challenges.
2. Education Council Should
Channel Community Aspirations
The Education Council has an
important role in connecting community concerns with local education
policymakers.
However, the study finds that the
Education Council in Konawe Selatan has not yet fully met the expectations of
the community and education stakeholders. Its activities have tended to focus
on ceremonial events, while concrete issues such as laboratory facilities,
literacy, and dropout rates require greater attention.
The council is expected to act as
a mediator among government, communities, schools, and legislative
institutions. Its responsibilities include gathering community needs, providing
policy recommendations, encouraging parental participation, and monitoring
education policies and programs.
3. Teacher Professional
Organizations Need to Become More Active
The study also calls for teacher
professional organizations to strengthen their professional functions.
The research indicates that
teacher organizations at the regency level remain highly visible in ceremonial
activities. However, these organizations could provide a forum for teachers to
discuss educational challenges, build professional networks, strengthen
competencies, advocate for professional protection, and support teacher
welfare.
An active professional
organization could also work with education authorities and other stakeholders
to strengthen teacher ethics, professional development, legal assistance, and
educational advocacy.
4. School Principals Need
Stronger Leadership Networks
The Principals’ Working Group
(Musyawarah Kerja Kepala Sekolah/MKKS) is another important element in
strengthening school management.
In Konawe Selatan, the forum
holds regular meetings, ranging from monthly to quarterly sessions. These
meetings can provide opportunities for principals to discuss problems,
challenges, opportunities, resources, and innovations at their respective
schools.
Moita emphasizes that the
principals’ forum can also strengthen communication among school leaders and
provide a channel for presenting schools’ concerns and aspirations to local
governments and other education stakeholders.
5. Teacher Forums Support
Knowledge Sharing
Subject Teacher Forums and
Teacher Working Groups also play an important role in improving classroom
quality.
These forums allow teachers to
discuss educational innovations, teaching models, curricula, technology use,
and challenges encountered during classroom instruction.
The study finds that teacher
forums can improve teachers’ ability to plan, implement, and evaluate learning
activities. Teachers can also share experiences from training programs,
seminars, workshops, classroom action research, and other professional activities.
Regular professional interaction
can therefore help teachers exchange practical solutions and strengthen their
teaching capacity.
6. School Committees Need
Institutional Strengthening
School committees exist across
education levels in Konawe Selatan, but their effectiveness varies.
The research finds that the
performance of some school committees remains inadequate. Low organizational
commitment has limited their oversight, partnership, and support functions,
leaving many responsibilities concentrated within school management. As a
result, some committees risk becoming largely symbolic institutions.
The study recommends revitalizing
school committees by strengthening their organizational structures, selecting
committed and experienced members, clarifying their responsibilities, and
establishing regular meetings with schools.
7. Community Participation
Remains Essential
Community participation is the
seventh component of the stakeholder capacity strategy.
The study reports that parental
and community support for education in Konawe Selatan has become increasingly
visible. School participation at the elementary and junior high school levels
has reached 87%, although other education participation indicators have
not yet fully reached national targets.
According to Moita of Halu Oleo
University, community involvement should go beyond encouraging children to
attend school. Communities can also support learning environments, educational
facilities, school monitoring, and decision-making related to education.
Collaboration Is the Central
Strategy
Overall, Moita’s study shows that
education quality is a shared outcome rather than the sole responsibility of
schools or government.
The seven stakeholder groups have
complementary roles. Teacher organizations strengthen professional competence
and teacher interests; the Education Council channels public aspirations and
provides oversight; teacher professional organizations support development and
protection; principals’ forums strengthen school leadership; teacher forums
improve instructional competence; school committees connect schools with
parents and communities; and the wider community participates in planning,
implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
The findings point toward an
education system that moves beyond an approach focused primarily on budgets and
infrastructure toward a collaborative, participatory, transparent, and
needs-based education ecosystem.
Stronger coordination could help
stakeholders perform their respective roles more effectively while supporting
one another. Such an approach could make education programs more integrated,
accountable, and sustainable in Konawe Selatan.
Author Profile
Sulsalman Moita is
affiliated with the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Halu
Oleo University. The journal article does not provide the author’s academic
degree or specific field of expertise, so those details have not been added.
Research Source
Title: Strategy for
Strengthening Stakeholder Capacity to Improve the Quality of Education in
Konawe Selatan Regency
Author: Sulsalman Moita
Affiliation: Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Halu Oleo
University
Journal: International Journal of Integrative Research (IJIR)
Volume: 4, Issue 9
Year: 2026
Pages: 837–848
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijir.v4i9.4
Journal Website: https://journalijir.my.id/index.php/ijir
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