Indonesia's Education Budget Faces Calls to Prioritize Teachers Over Infrastructure

Members of Indonesia’s House of Representatives warned the government that the 2027 education budget remains overly focused on building schools while neglecting teacher welfare and instructional quality. Deputy Chairman of Commission X Lalu Hadrian Irfani said the draft budget omits programs for teacher competence and salary improvements, urging the inclusion of measures to raise both teacher and student standards.

In parallel, President Prabowo Subianto and Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti reaffirmed the commitment to allocate 20 % of the state budget to education, amounting to Rp 769.1 trillion for 2026. The plan earmarks Rp 14 trillion for revitalising over 11,700 schools and upgrading 60 000 new facilities, engaging roughly 1.1 million workers, and introducing integrated national schools to reduce disparities in remote regions.