490,000 Teacher Education Graduates Annually, but Only 20,000 Job Openings for Teachers

The Ministry of Education, Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek) has spotlighted teacher education programmes as one of the largest contributors to the imbalance between the number of graduates and the availability of job opportunities. Secretary General of Kemendiktisaintek, Badri Munir Sukonco, stated that studies from his institution indicate approximately 450,000 graduates from teacher education programmes each year are at risk of becoming educated unemployed due to limited job slots matching their field of expertise. “Our teacher education programmes graduate 490,000 every year. Meanwhile, the need for teacher education graduates is only 20,000,” Badri said at the 2026 National Population Symposium in a YouTube broadcast by BKKBN, quoted on Monday (27/4). Reflecting on this situation, Badri proposed the idea of abolishing higher education programmes that suffer from an oversupply of graduates. This firm call is intended to align graduate competencies with actual industry requirements. The government assures that it will soon regulate programmes that are no longer relevant. The high number of graduates not absorbed into the workforce forms the main basis for this evaluation policy, especially from social sciences groups that dominate up to 60 percent of total higher education statistics. “There is willingness or perhaps some things that we will execute not too long from now regarding programmes; we will select and sort them, or if necessary, close them to increase this relevance,” Badri said. Facing this massive academic restructuring challenge, the government recognises that the discourse on closing or streamlining programmes cannot be executed unilaterally. Therefore, Kemendiktisaintek specifically requests synergy, support, and magnanimity from the Consortium of Universities Concerned with Population (PTPK) to reorganise the direction of national education for the future. “So, in our view at the ministry, a joint policy is needed. We also hope for support from friends in PTPK (Perguruan Tinggi Peduli Kependudukan), of course, all the rectors present here, so that there is willingness,” Badri stated. Furthermore, Badri touched on the phenomenon of higher education institutions in Indonesia that currently tend to use a market-driven strategy in opening programmes. This means that campuses simply open majors that are currently popular among prospective students. “I can check that, for example, in 2028, we will actually have an oversupply of doctors if this is allowed to continue. An oversupply of doctors if we use the World Bank’s minimum standard. Moreover, there is maldistribution, an imbalance in distribution across regions,” Badri explained. Ultimately, this restructuring of programmes is seen as an absolute requirement for Indonesia in managing its demographic bonus. “Indeed, the demographic bonus is being proclaimed everywhere right now, but if higher education, which is expected to lead us to become an advanced country, is not adjusted to future economic growth needs, it certainly won’t match,” he emphasised.