Ledia Hanifa Amaliah, a member of the House's Commission X, made the appeal during a TVR 120 program, stressing that “the reality is that current funding still falls short of what is needed,” despite meeting the formal constitutional requirement.
She pointed out that while budget reports consistently meet the 20 percent figure, actual investment does not ensure adequate infrastructure, qualified teaching staff, or equitable access to quality education across regions.
“Education spending must exceed 20 percent to truly improve the quality of national education,” Ledia added.
Indonesia’s 1945 Constitution mandates that no less than 20 percent of the state budget go to education, as stated in Article 31, Paragraph 4.
This is backed by Article 49 of the 2003 National Education System Law, which requires the same minimum allocations from both state and regional budgets, excluding teacher salaries and official training costs.
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The Ministry of Finance has already maintained the education budget at about 20 percent. For the 2026 draft state budget (RAPBN), the allocation reaches Rp757.8 trillion, Indonesia’s largest ever amount devoted to education.
Funds include Rp253.4 trillion directed to regions for teacher allowances and operational school support; Rp243.9 trillion distributed via government ministries such as those overseeing primary, secondary, and higher education; and Rp223.6 trillion for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, which targets 71.9 million students.
In addition, Rp37 trillion is allocated for education financing, including scholarships from the Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP) for 4,000 students, 452 research projects, and support for 21 existing state universities with legal entity status (PTN BH) and two new ones.
This financing also covers support for nine model schools and the revitalization of 11,686 schools.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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