DPR Member Criticises Term 'Non-ASN Teachers': Traversing Damaged Roads and Crossing Rivers, Yet Receiving Unworthy Salaries

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A member of Commission II of the House of Representatives from the Gerindra faction, Azis Subekti, has highlighted the government’s use of the term non-ASN teachers. Azis views it as a cold term. In reality, these non-ASN teachers have kept many schools running for years when the state has not been fully present. “Many remote classrooms in this republic sometimes lack proper systemic support for education. They remain alive because there are teachers who choose to persevere, arriving in the morning, teaching amid all limitations, comforting students who need attention, and then returning home with an unclear status and income that is often far from adequate,” Azis stated in his remarks on Thursday (7/5/2026). This issue encompasses social justice, the direction of national education policy, and how seriously the state is fulfilling its own constitutional mandate. He also referenced Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution, which states that every citizen has the right to education. “The state is also obliged to fund basic education and prioritise the education budget to at least 20 percent of the APBN and APBD. The constitution is very clear: education is not an additional programme, but the state’s most fundamental obligation,” he explained. He stressed that prospering teachers is not an act of pity from the state, but a constitutional mandate. “This is where the Circular Letter of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Number 7 of 2026 must be read in full and clearly. The circular provides opportunities for non-ASN teachers who were registered until 31 December 2024 and are still actively teaching to continue their duties until 31 December 2026. According to the government’s explanation, this policy is intended as a transitional step to prevent gaps in educational services while providing temporary certainty for non-ASN teachers,” Azis elaborated. In various regions, especially in peripheral schools, non-ASN teachers are not merely supplementary staff. Azis noted that there are schools that continue to operate even though one honorary teacher has to handle several classes at once. Moreover, there are children in remote areas who can still read and write because a teacher chooses to stay, despite years of living in uncertainty. “The reality at the grassroots level is much harsher than regulations. In many villages and remote areas, education is truly supported by dedication. There are teachers who traverse damaged roads, cross rivers, or spend personal funds to ensure schools are not empty. Ironically, some of them face the threat of being sidelined due to administrative issues and an incomplete data system,” Azis explained.