{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1764966,
        "msgid": "fpg-mpr-low-wages-for-lecturers-and-contract-teachers-violate-1945-constitution-mandate-1780126460",
        "date": "2026-05-26 08:25:41",
        "title": "FPG MPR: Low Wages for Lecturers and Contract Teachers Violate 1945 Constitution Mandate",
        "author": "",
        "source": "DETIK",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "The Golkar Party Faction in the MPR has condemned the inadequate pay and legal insecurity of educators despite the constitutional requirement for a 20% national education budget. Officials highlighted regulatory ambiguities and administrative burdens affecting teaching quality, proposing measures like centralised teacher allocation and PhD support for lecturers to align budget allocation with constitutional rights.",
        "content": "<p>The Golkar Party Faction (FPG) of the Indonesian People\u2019s\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) has strongly criticised the poor welfare of\nlecturers and contract teachers despite the constitutional mandate for a\n20% education budget from the state budget. FPG argues that the legal\nuncertainty and low wages of educators have violated constitutional\nrights guaranteed under the 1945 Constitution. FPG MPR Chairman Melchias\nMarkus Mekeng, M.H., stressed that the 20% national budget allocation\nfor education is a strict constitutional requirement under the 1945\nConstitution. This was reinforced by Constitutional Court Decision\nNo.\u00a024\/PUU-V\/2007 regarding the review of Law No.\u00a020 of 2003 on the\nNational Education System and the 2007 State Budget Law. Additionally,\nConstitutional Court Decision No.\u00a013\/PUU-VI\/2008 clarified Article 31(4)\nof the 1945 Constitution, mandating that national education budget must\nbe allocated at least 20% from the national budget (APBN) and 20% from\nregional budgets (APBD). \u2018This is a binding constitutional mandate that\ncannot be delayed. While education budgets have increased annually,\ntheir allocation has not fully matched their effective use,\u2019 Mekeng\nstated on Tuesday (26 May 2026). Mekeng made these remarks during a\npublic discussion titled \u2018Implementing Citizens\u2019 Constitutional Right to\nDecent Work and Livelihood\u2019 in South Tangerang, Banten, on Monday (25\nMay 2026). Mekeng noted that half of the budget is still consumed by\ncentral expenditures such as salaries and official education allowances\nacross ministries and agencies, alongside non-essential items not\ndirectly related to education delivery. He said this hinders efforts to\nimprove learning quality. \u2018As a result, the Ministry of Basic and\nSecondary Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and\nTechnology, and local governments struggle to accelerate inclusive\neducation quality improvements. This is evident in Indonesian students\u2019\nacademic test results,\u2019 he added. In response, Deputy Minister of Basic\nand Secondary Education Prof.\u00a0Atip Latipulhayat, SH., LL.M., Ph.D.,\nexplained that current teacher issues are longstanding problems\nrequiring fundamental regulatory solutions. He highlighted the ambiguous\nstatus of teachers, caught between bureaucratic roles as civil servants\n(ASN) and professional educator expectations. \u2018Teachers are in an\nambiguous position. Formally, they are civil servants, yet they are also\nprofessionals. Consequently, they prioritise administrative duties over\nsubstantive teaching responsibilities due to allowance implications,\u2019\nProf.\u00a0Latipulhayat said. He explained that administrative burdens often\ndivert teachers\u2019 focus from their core teaching duties, ultimately\naffecting national education quality. Regarding the fate of 548,271\nnon-civil servant teachers affected by contract staff regulations,\nProf.\u00a0Atip confirmed the ministry issued Education Letter No.\u00a07 of 2026\non the Assignment of Non-Civil Servant Teachers in Government-Run\nEducational Institutions as a transitional policy until December 2026 to\nsecure their status and salaries. Looking ahead, he proposed\nrestructuring through a \u2018teacher talent pool\u2019 to centralise teacher\nformation and distribution, preventing overlaps in authority between\ncentral and local governments. Complementing this perspective, Minister\nof Higher Education, Science, and Technology Prof.\u00a0Brian Yuliarto, S.T.,\nM.Eng, emphasised the role of universities as economic drivers towards\nGolden Indonesia 2045 through the \u2018Impactful Campus\u2019 vision. He stressed\nthat universities must be centres for solving community and industry\nissues, including through research commercialisation to create new jobs.\nRegarding higher education educators\u2019 welfare, Prof.\u00a0Brian highlighted\nthe mismatch between the Government Employee with Work Agreement (PPPK)\nscheme and the characteristics of lecturer roles. \u2018After review, PPPK\nlimitations are unsuitable for lecturer positions. Therefore, we see no\nfuture recruitment of lecturers under PPPK,\u2019 Prof.\u00a0Brian stated. To\nimprove qualifications, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and\nTechnology now facilitates PhD studies for lecturers without requiring\nthem to leave teaching duties, ensuring their income remains secure.\nBeyond lecturers, staff and lab technicians are being strengthened\nthrough competency programs to make the higher education ecosystem more\nprofessional, innovative, and tech-adaptive. The discussion underscored\nthat aligning the 20% education budget allocation with professional and\nwell-compensated educator management is essential to fulfil citizens\u2019\nconstitutional right to decent work and livelihood.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fpg-mpr-low-wages-for-lecturers-and-contract-teachers-violate-1945-constitution-mandate-1780126460",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}