Education Budget to Rise in 2026, Not Cut for Free Meals Programme

SURABAYA — Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti has confirmed that the education budget for 2026 will rise, asserting that the budget allocated to his ministry has not been reduced by a single rupiah.

Mu’ti also emphasised that the Free Nutritious Meals programme (MBG) has in no way cut into the education budget. On the contrary, the budget has grown larger following the introduction of MBG, as President Prabowo has committed to supplementary funding, prompting the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) to submit an Additional Budget Allocation (ABT).

The minister assured that funding for the Programme Indonesia Pintar (PIP) — which supports pupils at primary, junior secondary, senior secondary, and special education levels — will not be reduced. In 2026, PIP coverage will be expanded to include kindergarten pupils for the first time.

Currently, 43 million MBG beneficiaries are school pupils. Mu’ti noted that the MBG programme has supported Kemendikdasmen’s objectives by motivating pupils to attend school and strengthening character development.

Based on updated data as of 18 February 2026, the MBG programme has reached 280,023 educational units with 43.17 million student beneficiaries across Indonesia.

In 2025, Kemendikdasmen received an allocation of Rp16.9 trillion for the revitalisation of educational facilities, covering 16,176 educational units. For 2026, the ministry has allocated a budget exceeding Rp14 trillion for the revitalisation of more than 11,000 educational units.

To date, educational units with fully completed construction have reached 93 per cent. The President has ordered the additional revitalisation of 60,000 schools, bringing the government’s total target to improvements at more than 71,000 educational units throughout Indonesia this year.