Preliminary evidence favors focusing safety net scholarships (designed to reduce dropout rates during an economic crisis) on lower secondary schools, continuing to target children (especially older students) from large families, scaling back scholarships to private schools at the lower secondary level, or targeting the households hurt most by the crisis.

School attendance in Indonesia dropped slightly after the onset of the Asian crisis but then rebounded to higher-than-pre-crisis levels. Fewer children are now working, although the older children who are working and are not attending school seem to be working longer hours. Children's health-status appears to be relatively stable.