JOURNAL LA SOCIALE
VOL. 01, ISSUE 01 (005-011), 2020

Public Policy Implementation: Study on Educational Budgeting of Palopo
Ahyar Amir1, Muhammad Yunus1, Gita Susanti1
1

Department of Development Administration,
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences,
Postgraduate of Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
Corresponding Author: Ahyar Amir
Article Info

Abstract

Article history:
Received 08 January 2020
Received in revised form 15
January 2020
Accepted 22 January 2020

This study aims to analyze the content of the policy in the implementation
of the Education Budget in the Palopo City Budget and to analyze the
policy context in the implementation of Palopo Regional Educational
Budgeting in the. This study uses a qualitative approach through the use
of interviews, direct observation in the field and analysis of written
materials as the main data source. From the research results obtained,
the indicator of interest that is influenced shows the interests of the
school become more attentive and more accommodated. Implementation
of Free Education in the field where the school benefits in the form of
the use of free education funds for additional incentives from teaching
hours of teachers outside of school hours and additional operational
costs, the use of free education at the elementary level more budget
absorbed for intensive teachers and for junior high school budgets more
absorbed in the costs of supporting school activities such as stationery
for the office and teaching and learning activities. In the implementation
of free education, the decision-making process is carried out through
deliberations that involve all interested parties (students' parents
through the school committee and the school itself). Characteristics that
are different from each school makes it difficult for schools to implement
free education programs. The existence of this free education program
makes the active role of parents in paying attention to the learning of
students to be reduced.

Keywords:
Implementation
Budget

Introduction
Implementation is the most important stage because during the implementation of the policy
often arises major problems that limit the effectiveness of the policy. In implementing a
program requires a budget as a planned part. A budget is a detailed plan regarding the
acquisition and use of financial and other resources over a certain period of time (Romero et
al., 2003; Caruthers & Layzell, 2010). Implementation related to education costs has a direct
bearing on the delivery of education. Expenditures that do not have a direct relationship with
the provision of education can be referred to as extravagance or expenditure that could have
been prevented. Wasteful educational institutions when spending operational funds exceed the
funds that should be needed to carry out education in the work unit (Harsono, 2007).
This problem has become part of the issue in various studies, including in research (Makhya,
2012), which discusses the formulation of the Lampung Province Regional Budget and
Revenue (APBD) Policy 2011. The results of the study concluded that Lampung Province
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APBD Policy Formulation in 2011 was more interpreted as a political process so that the
process of making APBD public budget policy was a product of the interests of the actors
involved in it. As a consequence of the Lampung provincial policy model illustrated, the
concept of participatory budgeting and participatory governance which is seen as a reaction to
efforts to shift the dominance of the government's role in policy formulation and realize public
policy deliberation in the regions apparently cannot be implemented because the budget
formulation process is still in the realm of country.
Besides, a study that discusses the implementation of the education budget described in
(Adawiah, 2010), the implementation of school operational assistance (BOS) in the provision
of free education for poor students in southern Kalimantan shows that the use of BOS funds in
South Kalimantan has referred to the appropriate provisions, namely to matters as follows:
Administration of new student admissions, purchase of reference books, purchase of textbooks
for the library, finance remedial activities, enrichment, and extra-curricular activities, finance
examinations/reports and reports on student learning outcomes, purchase consumable
materials, pay for power and service violations, school maintenance costs, paying teacher
honorariums for honorarium funding for teaching staff, teacher professional development
costs, transportation costs for poor students, administrative costs for managing BOS, buying
computers for student learning and others (meeting consumption, etc.). Budget as a process
carried out by public sector organizations to allocate the resources they have to the needs that
are not limited (Rasmussen, 2004).
Theoretically In his book Public Policy, (Nugroho, 2009), gives the meaning of policy
implementation as a way for a policy to achieve its objectives. Nothing more and nothing less.
Furthermore, Grindle states, implementation is a general process of administrative action that
can be examined at a particular program level. Grindle added in the process of implementing a
policy, influenced by the content or the context and policy context. The contents of the policy
consisting of (1) the interests that are affected. (2) Types of benefits. (3) Degree of expected
change. (4) Location of decision making. (5) Implementing the program. (6) Resources
involved.
Then for the policy context consists of (1) Power, interests and strategies of the actors involved
(2) Characteristics of institutions and authorities. (3) Compliance and responsiveness (Grindle,
1980).
It is interesting to discuss the implementation of the Palopo city budget policy by looking at
aspects of the policy content and policy context inspired by Grindle's theory. To analyze the
policy content and context in the implementation of the Free Education Budget in the Palopo
City Regional Budget.
Methods
This research was conducted in the Department and in elementary and junior high schools in
Palopo City. The approach of this research is qualitative, then this research was arranged
descriptively to find out and describe how the implementation of the education budget in the
regional budget.
Research informants consisted of officials in the Palopo City Education Office, School
Principals, and parents of students. The technique of determining the informants is done by
purposive sampling by looking at the suitability of the prospective informants with the
information needed. This means that the informants to be selected are those who truly have the
competence regarding the implementation of the education budget in the Palopo City Regional
Budget.

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Data collection techniques used in this study are: observation, which is direct observation in
the field following the object under study; interviews, namely direct interviews with informants
using verbal research tools (voice recording) and interview guidelines; Documentation, namely
the study of literature, documents, and other written sources that are related to the data and
information needs in this study. The series of processes include data reduction, data
presentation, and data verification (Sugiyono, 2011).
Results and Discussion
To find out the contents of the policy in the implementation of the Education Budget in the
Palopo City Budget and also the policy context in the implementation of the Education Budget
in the Palopo City Budget. Then it is described in two aspects, namely the contents of the policy
and the policy context.
Policy Content
Based on the results of research interviews show that the burden of student school fees is no
longer the responsibility of parents only. However, aspects of interests that are influenced by
parents of students also have interests that are affected by the existence of this free education
program, where the interests of parents in terms of financing the learning process and school
development are a concern and expect more funding from free education. This is due to an
understanding from the public about this free education program. They assume that this free
education program will finance the entire learning process at school. Their participation in
funding the learning process in schools is still very much needed by providing voluntary
funding.
Based on the results of the study showed that the school benefits directly from this free
education budget. This can be seen from the intensive given to teachers and implementing staff
who are in school and besides that other funding such as office stationery is also fulfilled in the
details of the free education budget. If free education funding for elementary education level is
more budget absorbed for teacher intensive then for junior high school level more budget is
absorbed in the supporting costs of school activities such as office stationery for offices and
teaching and learning activities. related to the use of the free education budget at state
elementary school no. 3 Surutanga and state elementary school no. 12 Langkanae shows that
the use of the budget is aimed at intensive teachers and staff at the school so that it does not
place a burden on parents for this funding. And related to the use of free education budgets at
state junior school no. 3 Palopo and state junior school no. 4 Palopo shows that the use of the
budget is aimed more at supporting the costs of school activities as well as for intensive
instructors and staff at schools so as not to burden the parents of these students for the funding.
Then for an explanation of the types of benefits from the use of the free education budget.
Based on the results of the study showed that the expected degree of change is reflected in the
implications of free education programs that make schools in Palopo City able to send all their
students to school without reason to drop out because of constrained school fees that cannot be
paid by parents of students. This reflects the degree of change in a policy that leads to the
improvement and improvement of educational activities that are able to accommodate all
students receiving free education funds in the City of Palopo.
Based on the results of the study showed the implementor of the free education program and
strengthened by the statement of the school committee members, it can be seen that in
implementing the program the decision-making process was carried out. Where the decisionmaking process is carried out with deliberations that release stationery from all interested
parties namely parents of students through the school committee and the school itself. And the
Human Resources who are released from stationery in implementing the free education
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program are the teachers who are directly appointed or given a Decree by the Principal who
agrees to carry out this free education program.
Policy Context
Based on the research results obtained, it is known that in implementing this free education
program, every school has implemented it in accordance with existing rules, namely the
existence of technical guidelines for the implementation of free education programs following
South Sulawesi Governor Regulation No. 9 of 2010. it is known that there is a free education
program that provides the same format to all schools that receive funding from the program.
Where SSN (National Standard School) schools that are required to meet eight national
education standards have the same format in managing free education program funds with
potential schools or schools that are not of national standard.
The management of this free education fund has been determined in the technical guidelines
set out in South Sulawesi Governor Regulation No. 9 of 2010. Due to the different needs of
each school in terms of meeting the funding of learning and teaching incentive payments, while
managing the same free education funds from each school, admitting school stationery and
school supplies is experiencing difficulties in developing and improving school stationery
quality. This is what causes the implementation of free education programs not yet optimal.
The implementation of education which is very centralistic, forcing the school stationery school
as an educational institution is very dependent on bureaucratic decisions that have a very long
path and sometimes the policies issued are not in accordance with the conditions of the local
school. Thus the school loses independence, motivation, and initiative to develop and advance
its institutions including improving the quality of education as one of the goals of national
education. it is known that there is a free education program that provides the same format to
all schools that receive funding from the program. Where SSN (National Standard School)
schools that are required to meet eight national education standards have the same format in
managing free education program funds with potential schools or schools that are not of
national standard.
Besides, based on the results of interview interviews, it is known that the existence of this free
education program makes the active role of parents in paying attention to the learning of
students to be reduced. This is because of the wrong views of parents of students as the target
group as well as those who benefit from free education programs. Their view is that all school
funding is free. This is because the free education fund managed by the school cannot touch
students directly. The lack of free education funding to finance teaching and learning processes
and payment of incentives in schools even though it has been assisted with BOS (School
Operational Assistance) funds provided by the central government.
This study found that the indicators of interests that are influenced as part of the policy content
of a special government program implementation in free education in Palopo City obtained a
conclusion that the interests that are influenced in the implementation of the free education
budget in the city of Palopo are the interests of the schools which become more attentive and
more accommodated. the interests of educators and school officials through the intensive
provided through free education and the interests of parents of students appear in the form of
hope that free education is truly able to fully maximize by meeting all the educational needs of
students as a whole.
From the discussion of the Benefit Type indicators as part of the policy content of a policy
implementation, specifically the Palopo City education budget policy, a conclusion can be
drawn that the benefit type deigns in the intensive financing of teachers and school staff and
operational costs of the educational process so that the cost of education does not provide an
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impact parents to bear the intensive burden given to the school because it has been fulfilled
through free education although other funding such as BOS (school operational assistance)
funds have been implemented to facilitate existing education but free education meets other
costs that are not covered in school operational assistance funds. from other search sources, it
shows that in the use of school operational assistance funds, not all school needs can be met.
Because this school operational assistance fund only finances certain activity components, such
as the purchase/duplication of textbooks, learning activities and student extra-curricular
activities, school maintenance, monthly honorarium payments for honorary teachers and so on
(Fitri, 2014). So that this type of benefit arises from the support of local governments to
increase stationery quality education by supporting the cost of education through a free
education policy that can provide relief for the demands of education costs for parents of
students.
Then in implementation (Grinde, 1980), it includes indicators of the degree of expected change.
that the program determined will provide a slight change in the field of education with the
improvement of the quality of human resources in the city of Palopo. Related to the context of
ignoring the goals of a nation and solving public problems, Anderson et al (1978) explained
that public policy is a series of activities that have a specific purpose or goal that is followed
and implemented by an actor or group of actors relating to a problem or an issue watch out for.
(Agustino, 2006). explained that the implementation of the policy known two approaches,
namely: "Top-down approach which is similar to the command and control approach and a
bottom-up approach similar to the market approach” (Lester & Stewart, 2000). The top-down
approach or command and control is carried out centrally starting from the actors at the central
level and decisions taken at the central level. Organizational/institutional relations are
interpreted as cooperative relationships which are usually equal, each of which has different
duties and authorities for the completion of a program. Relations between actors between these
institutions are often found in large and broad-ranging policies, such as poverty alleviation
policies, economic improvement policies, and similar policies.
Contrary to the top-down approach, the bottom-up approach is more focused on the
implementation of policies formulated from the initiation of community members. The
argument given is that problems and problems that occur at the local level can only be
understood well by residents. So that at the stage of its implementation, a policy always
participates publicly in public stationery. From the results of the interview above we can
conclude that the decision making in the free education policy in the City of Palopo is bottomup. The executing element is the policy implementor, the policy implementers are the parties
who carry out the policy consisting of determining organizational goals and objectives, analysis
and formulation of policies and organizational strategies, decision making, planning,
programming, organizing, mobilizing, operational implementation, supervision, and
assessment (Matland, 1995).
This is reflected in the free education program in Palopo City, implemented in schools that
have agreed to implement the program. So that the implementers of this free education program
are teachers who are deliberately chosen by the principal in managing this free education fund.
Disposition factor is needed in supporting the successful implementation of the policy of free
education because of the existence of this factor that prioritizes the understanding of policy
implementers in its implementation, it is expected that the policy can reach the target groups
clearly (Andriani, 2014).
Furthermore, the characteristics of institutions as one of the other factors in the policy context
in influencing policy implementation are also found in schools as educational institutions that
run this free education program. Where the different characteristics of each school make it
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difficult for schools to implement free education programs because there are technical
guidelines that demand the management of the same free education funding from each school.
that the schools in Palopo City, especially the state schools, have implemented free education
programs. Secondly, how the responsiveness of the bureaucrats to the desires of those who will
benefit from the services they provide so that policy and program objectives can be achieved.
To be effective, the implementor must have expertise in the art of politics and must understand
well the environment in which they will realize public policies and programs.
Conclusion
The burden of student school fees is no longer the responsibility of parents only. However,
aspects of interests that are affected by parents of students also have interests that are influenced
by the existence of this free education program, where the interests of parents in terms of
financing the learning process and school development are a concern and expect more funding
from free education. Although the benefits have been felt by the target group, but there are still
deficiencies found in the implementation of this free education program where the program
funds are still late in disbursement, the lack of funds in meeting learning activities in schools
which results in the elimination of school creativities in developing school is not optimal, and
the role of parents is reduced in helping students learning activities.
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