In that event, attended by thousands of teachers from various regions in the country, President Prabowo Subianto passionately summoned all members of the Red and White Cabinet to demonstrate unwavering dedication towards educational advancement and enhancing the welfare of teachers.
Prabowo considered teachers as the essential foundational pillars upon which a nation's future is built.
He stated that teachers are the key to the revival of the Indonesian nation. The president asserted that national prosperity is intrinsically linked to effective educational practices, with teachers serving as the critical determinant of educational success.
He expressed firm belief that no nation can achieve meaningful progress without the fundamental contributions of teachers.
Prabowo acknowledged that his ascension to the presidency was directly attributable to the dedicated services of teachers.
This statement represents a profound demonstration of deep reverence and recognition from the head of state for teachers.
"There is no choice for Indonesia except to rise so as not to be seen as just an average country," Prabowo emphasized.
The president affirmed that his administration is determined to eliminate poverty through education, for which he has made education the main focus of his government.
The government's priorities are reflected in its state budget (APBN). Several large countries in the world, such as the United States and India, allocate a major chunk of their state budgets to the defense sector.
For Indonesia, the preamble to the 1945 Constitution set by the nation's founders, stated that the national goal is to protect the entire Indonesian nation. Usually, the meaning of protection is related to defense.
However, Prabowo stated that the government he leads chooses to place education as the main sector in the state budget, not defense.
This is because education is considered the basic defense element that should be fought for to create resilient human resources in the future.
For the first time in the nation's history, education has the highest budget allocation in the state budget. This fact received applause from the teachers who attended the National Teacher's Day Summit event.
Improving teachers' well-being
Prabowo has also increased the budget to ensure the welfare of teachers, both those holding the state civil servant (ASN) status and also for teachers with a contract-based government employee (PPPK) status.
ASN teachers now receive a bonus in the form of one time of their basic salary, while non-ASN teachers receive a salary raise of Rp2 million per month.
The budget for ensuring teachers' welfare has been increased to Rp81.6 trillion, or around USD5.1 billion, in 2025.
The Prabowo administration is also committed to improving the quality of teachers through teacher professional education (PPG) for 806,486 ASN and non-ASN teachers.
Starting in 2025, teachers who have not held at least a diploma 4 (D4) or bachelor's degree (S1) will be given educational assistance to continue their studies.
The government is also endeavoring to improve the welfare of non-ASN teachers who have not been certified, including through cash-transfer assistance.
Improving education services
To enhance education services, Prabowo's government has allocated Rp17.15 trillion, or around USD1 billion, in 2025 to rehabilitate, repair, and renovate 10,440 public and private schools, where the funds will be sent directly to the schools by direct cash transfer.
Schools are expected to self-manage this assistance so it can have a multiplier effect on the surrounding areas.
Prabowo stressed the imperative of eliminating educational infrastructure deficiencies, specifically highlighting the unacceptability of schools lacking basic amenities like functional toilets that compromise student and teacher experiences.
Prabowo drew attention to the significant challenge of improving educational facilities across 330 thousand schools, explicitly demonstrating that advancing educational services is far from a straightforward or simplistic mission.
Prabowo's tears
During that summit event, Prabowo called on teachers to exercise patience, as the government is braving numerous struggles to improve their welfare.
The president appealed to the educators to place complete trust in the government he leads.
In a teary admission, he extended a heartfelt apology, acknowledging the government's potential shortcomings in fully meeting educators' legitimate expectations and rightful entitlements.
As he surveyed the expansive assembly, Prabowo was deeply struck by the thousands of educators, whose faces radiated hope and aspirational energy.
Simultaneously, Prabowo was momentarily transported by a personal memory, reflecting on his father's legacy as an educator.
In his tribute to national heroes, Prabowo highlighted Ki Hajar Dewantara as a pivotal educational luminary who stood alongside those who fought for Indonesia's independence.
He called on his cabinet members to sing songs for the teachers as a mark of respect.
Prabowo, a former soldier, gave a military-style salute to thousands of teachers at the summit of the 2024 National Teachers' Day.
The former defense minister saluted the teachers seated on the left, front, and right.
"Thank you. Good luck! Independent!" Prabowo proclaimed in a spirited acknowledgement.
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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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