Debate Continues Over Free Nutritious Meal Programme and Education Budget
On 30 July 2026, the Constitutional Court (MK), through Decision Number 40/PUU-XXIV/2026, ruled that the budget for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme must be separated from the education function budget allocation by the preparation of the 2028 State Budget (APBN) at the latest. This decision concludes the legal debate regarding whether the MBG budget can be counted as part of fulfilling the constitutional mandate regarding education budget allocation.
As a decision of the Constitutional Court, it is final and binding. The Government and the House of Representatives (DPR) are obliged to implement it. In a constitutional state, respect for the decisions of the constitutional court is part of respect for the constitution itself. However, respecting the decision does not mean halting academic discussion. On the contrary, the ruling opens a wider space to re-examine a fundamental question: what is actually meant by the ‘education function’ in the management of the State Budget?
Discussions regarding the education function often get trapped in an administrative approach, assuming that every rupiah spent by the Ministry of Education is automatically an education budget, while expenditures by other ministries are outside it. In modern budgeting systems, such as the international Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG), the budget function is determined by the primary purpose of the expenditure, not by the organisation spending it. For instance, if the Ministry of Public Works builds a school, that expenditure should be classified under the education function because its purpose is educational provision.
Therefore, the MBG programme, managed by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), should be viewed through this lens. While BGN’s administrative costs (salaries, office supplies, etc.) are not education functions, the MBG for students specifically should be categorised as auxiliary educational services. Modern economic theory on human capital suggests that human resource quality is shaped by a combination of education, health, and nutrition. Malnutrition affects brain development, concentration, and academic achievement, ultimately impacting future labour productivity.
Unfortunately, this academic discussion is not occurring in a vacuum. Amidst the constitutional debate, the public has been shocked by alleged corruption cases related to the implementation of the MBG programme. Such cases create negative perceptions that affect how the public views the budgeting of the programme. While governance issues and budget classification are conceptually distinct, in public policy, perception is often as powerful as substance. The Constitutional Court’s decision is now a reality, and while the legal mandate must be respected, the need for a diverse academic perspective—spanning constitutional law, educational economics, and public administration—remains vital.