Basic Education Minister Proposes Additional Budget to Revitalise 60,000 Schools
Jember, East Java (ANTARA) - Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti has submitted a request for additional budget funding to revitalise 60,000 damaged school buildings in 2026.
“The revitalisation is part of a national priority programme initiated by President Prabowo Subianto to strengthen the quality of education through improved facilities and infrastructure,” he said whilst inaugurating an education unit revitalisation at SMP Negeri 1 Balung in Jember Regency, East Java, on Saturday.
In 2025, the government completed the revitalisation of 16,167 education units across Indonesia, achieving a 100 per cent completion rate.
This forms part of the government’s commitment to ensuring Indonesian children learn in proper and quality spaces. “The revitalisation process will continue in 2026,” he said.
According to him, approximately 11,470 education units have already been allocated funding in the state budget, and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education is currently requesting additional budget for a further 60,000 education units.
“I hope that before 2029, all schools in Indonesia can be reached by the revitalisation programme in stages,” he said.
He explained that the 2026 revitalisation programme would be carried out through a self-managed system by each school, based on the ministry’s research findings, meaning the approach would not only accelerate the physical repair of school buildings.
The programme would also absorb local labour and stimulate regional economies. “Construction materials are prioritised from local shops and the workforce involves surrounding communities,” he said.
He revealed that Jember is the regency with the third-largest population in East Java and faces significant challenges in poverty rates, including the highest extreme poverty rate in the province.
At the start of his term, data showed 1,532 severely damaged school buildings in Jember Regency, a figure that did not include those in the minor and moderate damage categories.
This condition represents an enormous task that cannot be resolved by relying solely on regional budgets.
The administration views education as a long-term path to breaking the cycle of poverty, prompting him to travel to Jakarta to convey the actual conditions on the ground.
These data improvement efforts bore fruit, as in 2025 Jember Regency received its largest-ever revitalisation allocation, with 124 schools receiving repair assistance.
“In 2026, the Jember Regency Government has again submitted more than 300 schools still in the severely damaged category to be included in the continued revitalisation programme,” he said.
The Jember Regent expressed hope that central government support would continue to flow to accelerate the improvement of educational infrastructure.
The programme is not merely about repairing buildings but also serves as a regional economic stimulus. “The government has never neglected the quality of education,” he said.