{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1777084,
        "msgid": "response-to-presidents-directive-for-schools-to-teach-french-p2g-calls-it-merely-diplomatic-lip-service-1780297690",
        "date": "2026-06-01 13:30:17",
        "title": "Response to President's Directive for Schools to Teach French: P2G Calls it 'Merely Diplomatic Lip Service'",
        "author": "Andri Saubani",
        "source": "REPUBLIKA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "Teachers and Education Association (P2G) has criticised President Prabowo\u2019s directive for schools to teach French as a hasty, unplanned move with no clear rationale, suggesting it is merely diplomatic lip service. The group highlights that the policy contradicts the National Medium-Term Development Plan and would worsen the existing shortage of 374,000 civil servant teachers, compounded by a six-year recruitment freeze.",
        "content": "<p>REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA \u2013 The Teachers and Education Association\n(P2G) is puzzled by President Prabowo\u2019s directive for schools to teach\nFrench. P2G is surprised by the sudden nature of the instruction. \u2018Out\nof the blue, President Prabowo has ordered all schools to teach French\nto students,\u2019 said P2G National Coordinator Satriwan Salim on Monday (1\nJune 2026). P2G views the presidential directive as unclear, unplanned,\nand hasty, lacking thorough preparation and not a priority need. The\ngroup suspects it is merely diplomatic lip service to France. Satriwan\nfears that if Prabowo holds another bilateral meeting with Japan,\nJapanese language might be added to the curriculum. He suspects similar\nactions could occur during visits to China and the Netherlands. \u2018The\npresident\u2019s directive last year to teach Portuguese has yet to be\nimplemented, and now French is being added,\u2019 Satriwan said. Satriwan\nreminded that including French and Portuguese in the curriculum is not a\npriority under the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN)\n2025-2029, as per Presidential Regulation No.\u00a012 of 2025. \u2018The\ngovernment cannot implement education policies that deviate from the\nestablished RPJMN,\u2019 Satriwan added. Satriwan also noted that mandating\nFrench lessons across all school levels would add to students\u2019\ncurriculum burden, especially as Indonesia faces a shortage of 374,000\ncivil servant teachers in public schools. \u2018Introducing Portuguese and\nFrench from primary to secondary school levels would exacerbate the\nnational teacher shortage,\u2019 Satriwan said. Assuming two foreign language\nteachers per school for around 240,000 primary to secondary schools, the\ngovernment would need 480,000 additional foreign language teachers. \u2018The\ngovernment cannot meet this demand, especially as it has not recruited\ncivil servant teachers for six years. Consequently, there would be no\nprofessional teachers to deliver these subjects,\u2019 Satriwan\nconcluded.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/response-to-presidents-directive-for-schools-to-teach-french-p2g-calls-it-merely-diplomatic-lip-service-1780297690",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}