Bambang Sigit Widodo, Firre An Suprapto, Kairat Saginov, Hendri Prastiyono, Jauhar Wahyuni, Thor Kerr, Mohd. Hairy Ibrahim, Ayzhan Satybaldieva
This study aims to analyze the integration of geospatial data into the education management system through a multi-case study in three regions of East Java in Indonesia, namely Surabaya City, Malang City, and Jember Regency. In line with SDGs 4, this study strategically applies GIS to advance equitable access to education by reducing spatial disparities across East Java's metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions. This study adopted a quantitative approach, calculating student–teacher– school ratios at a sub-district level and referencing national education standards using official statistical datasets. The research employs a spatial analysis approach using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through the map of Education Spatial Index (ESI) to assess the alignment between the distribution of educational facilities and the spatial distribution of students at the kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels. The results show that the study also evaluates the distribution of higher education institutions within a 100-kilometers radius to measure accessibility to tertiary education. The findings indicate that urban areas such as Surabaya and Malang generally exhibit an ideal ESI across most education levels, whereas Jember continues to display significant disparities, particularly at the primary and secondary levels. Several areas across the three regions remain categorized as either overloaded or critically underserved, suggesting pressure on educational service systems as well as deficiencies in infrastructure. Regarding higher education, institutions are predominantly concentrated in metropolitan areas, while certain regencies lack access to public universities within the coverage radius. These results highlight pronounced spatial disparities in educational access and equity across the study regions. © 2025, Editura Universitatii din Oradea. All rights reserved.
Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Department of Geography Education, Faculty of Social Science and Political Sciences, Surabaya, Indonesia; Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Science and Political Sciences, Surabaya, Indonesia; L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Astana, Kazakhstan; Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social Science and Political Science, Surabaya, Indonesia; Curtin University, School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, Faculty of Humanities, Perth, Australia; Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Fakulti Sains Kemanusiaan, Perak, Malaysia; Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan