Private institutions comprise a significant portion of the country's primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. At some levels, the private sector forms the majority of institutions. Islamic education is also a significant component of the education system. One area where growth has persisted in spite of the crisis is in English language teaching. The sector has seen increasing demand for a variety of private courses across the country.
Education is a key focal point of Indonesian development policy.
Senior secondary education consists of three years and is divided into vocational and general streams. In addition to teaching the largest number of pupils, the primary schools comprise approximately two thirds of the total number of schools in Indonesia. The official language of instruction is Bahasa Indonesia. Private schools play a significant role in Indonesian education, particularly at the post-primary level. Tertiary Education Fifty years ago only a handful of higher education institutions existed in the country.