Free Nutritious Meals Programme: A Constitutional Mandate That Must Not Be Held Hostage by Sectoral Interests
This opinion article was written by Dr Eko Wahyuanto, a public policy analyst.
A historical paradox in public policy is currently being played out on the political stage. Honorary teachers have filed a legal challenge at the Constitutional Court (MK) concerning the budget for the Free Nutritious Meals programme (MBG).
On one hand, there is the struggle for the welfare of these unsung heroes who contribute to educating the nation. On the other hand, this legal challenge distorts that noble aspiration. All the arguments rest upon a fragile logical foundation — if not an outright case of misdirected grievance.
The challenge is legally weak and morally flawed, and therefore deserves scrutiny. Moreover, constitutionally speaking, the challenge runs headlong into the great wall of the 1945 Constitution and its phrase “to advance the intellectual life of the nation.” In essence, the honorary teachers are crashing into the wall of the “Nation’s Future” that the constitution was built to protect.
Slippery Logic
Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has openly described the challenge as “weak.” Why? Because there is a logical fallacy in the way the state budget (APBN) structure is being interpreted.
Treating the MBG budget as a “thief” stealing from honorary teachers’ welfare allocation is a dangerous oversimplification. The constitutionally mandated 20 per cent education budget from the APBN is a fixed figure — a constitutional directive that has absolutely no connection to the MBG budget.
The issue is not whether “the money exists or not,” but rather how the bureaucracy manages distribution and priorities within that 20 per cent allocation.
The MBG programme is not a rival, let alone an enemy, of honorary teachers. Both are legitimate offspring of the state’s commitment — born from the same constitutional womb to advance the intellectual life of the nation.
If there is a scenario behind this action designed to pit the two against each other, it will only create unnecessary turmoil — particularly at a time when the country needs to accelerate human capital development.
MBG Is Not a ‘Project’ but a Constitutional Mandate
Many people oversimplify the logic, viewing MBG as merely a series of rupiah figures in the state budget. In reality, this programme is vital for the future of Indonesia’s generations.
Why is MBG crucial? Because national sovereignty truly begins with what is on our children’s plates.
Articles 28H and 31 of the 1945 Constitution are not dead text. They are directives for the state to ensure its people are healthy and educated.
How can an honorary teacher, no matter how brilliant their instruction, transfer knowledge to pupils whose stomachs are rumbling or whose brains are affected by stunting due to chronic malnutrition?