EDUCATIONAL ACCESS DISPARITIES AND SOCIAL WELFARE OUTCOMES IN REMOTE INDIGENOUS SOCIETIES: A CASE OF THE DAYAK MERATUS

Resumen

Educational inequality remains a persistent challenge among remote Indigenous communities, where the formal availability of schools does not necessarily translate into effective educational participation or improved social welfare outcomes. Existing studies have largely examined educational access as a sector-specific issue, offering limited understanding of how disparities in access function as structural determinants of multidimensional welfare deprivation. This study addresses this gap by examining educational access disparities and their implications for social welfare within the Dayak Meratus Remote Indigenous Community in Hampang District, Kotabaru Regency, Indonesia. Using a qualitative descriptive case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, field observations, focus group discussions, and document analysis involving community leaders, teachers, parents, and local government officials. Educational access is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct encompassing physical accessibility, educational continuity across levels, socio-economic feasibility, and institutional support. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis framework supported by contextual quantitative indicators. The findings reveal that although primary education is formally available, educational discontinuity at the secondary level constitutes a critical structural barrier. Geographic isolation, limited transportation infrastructure, household economic vulnerability, and weak institutional coordination significantly restrict sustained school participation. Limited educational access further constrains economic opportunities, reduces access to health and social services, and perpetuates intergenerational welfare vulnerability. The study also highlights the dual role of local institutions, where strong social cohesion provides opportunities for community-based educational empowerment, while institutional fragmentation limits the sustainability of such initiatives. This study contributes to the literature by reframing educational access as a structural determinant of social welfare rather than merely an educational outcome in remote Indigenous settings. The findings provide policy-relevant insights for culturally responsive, community-based, and integrated education and welfare interventions in marginalized regions.