Explanation from the Minister of PANRB on the Status of Non-ASN Teachers in 2027
Minister of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) Rini Widyantini has explained the status of honorary or non-civil servant (non-ASN) teachers after their contracts expire on 31 December 2026. This contract limitation is stipulated in Circular Letter of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Number 7 of 2026.
According to Rini, the status of these non-ASN teachers after 2026 is still under inter-agency discussion. The government plans to open phased ASN recruitment selections starting this year. However, the schedule and quota for the openings are still being discussed.
“But I can affirm the government’s commitment that we will provide fair opportunities for them to follow the process in accordance with the provisions,” Rini said to Tempo, quoted on Sunday, 10 May 2026.
She explained that the restriction on the working period for non-ASN teachers in the SE of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education is not a new policy, but rather a consequence of the arrangement of honorary teachers that has been implemented since 2023 along with the enactment of Law Number 20 of 2023.
In Article 66 of that Law, the arrangement of non-ASN employees must be completed no later than December 2024. “And since then, government agencies are prohibited from appointing non-ASN employees other than civil servants (PNS) or government employees with work agreements (PPPK),” Rini said.
Nevertheless, Rini assured that during the ASN recruitment process, there will be no unilateral termination of employment contracts for honorary teachers. Rini stated that the state still needs them to fill teaching needs and ensure that educational activities are not disrupted.
Therefore, she asked non-ASN teachers not to worry about the SE of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education which contains restrictions on non-ASN work contracts in public schools. “Sudden termination is not a responsible choice, either for the teachers or for the continuity of learning in schools,” she said.
Previously, the restriction on work contracts for honorary teachers in public schools as stated in the Circular Letter of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education was issued on 23 March 2026. The letter states that the tenure of honorary teachers in public schools ends as of 31 December 2026.
According to the explanation in the circular letter, there are a total of 237,196 non-ASN teachers still actively teaching in various regions. These hundreds of thousands of teachers are honorary personnel recorded in the basic education data as of 31 December 2024, but who did not pass the PPPK selection.
Nevertheless, Director General of Teachers and Education Personnel of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Nunuk Suryani emphasised that the SE is actually intended to prevent the dismissal of honorary personnel due to provisions in the ASN Law. She said the circular letter is meant to provide local governments with a reference to continue employing and paying honorary teachers at least throughout this year.
“This information provides affirmation that although the ASN Law prohibits any designation other than ASN, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education through that SE provides a policy basis for local governments to still be allowed to employ non-ASN teachers,” Nunuk said when contacted on Thursday, 7 April 2026.