Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

Introduction: Teacher allocation policy in Indonesia is a strategic aspect in realizing equitable education, especially in remote sub-districts that face geographical, social, and economic constraints.

Objectives: To analyze the dynamics, challenges, and effectiveness of teacher allocation policies in remote sub-districts after the 2020 education policy reform, with a focus on the implementation of policies based on Top-Down and Bottom-Up approaches.

Methods: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of 22 national and international literature published between 2015–2025, using the PRISMA framework to ensure data validity and traceability.

Results: The analysis show that inequality in teacher distribution remains high in remote sub-districts, characterized by a shortage of Civil Servant teachers, a high ratio of non-permanent teachers, and a significant turnover rate. Policy implementation is often hampered by weak coordination across levels of government, limited data on real teacher needs, and the low effectiveness of non-financial incentive schemes. In addition, Government Contract Employee policies and regional autonomy have not fully addressed the issue of sustainable   teacher placement and retention in difficult areas. This study emphasizes the need for affirmative action policies based on spatial equity and holistic incentive mechanisms that consider the socio-emotional dimensions of teachers. This analysis is based on the conceptual framework of Educational Equity and Resource Allocative Efficiency, which examines the extent to which teacher distribution aligns with school workload needs and geographic accessibility.

Impact: This research provides a conceptual contribution to strengthening contextual, equitable, and sustainable teacher allocation policy models for remote areas in Indonesia.