FSGI Demands Guarantee of Decent Salaries for Honorary Teachers Upon PPPK Appointment
The Indonesian Teachers’ Union Federation (FSGI) has called on the government to guarantee decent salaries for teachers following the prohibition of non-ASN or honorary teachers by 30 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, honorary teacher positions in public schools will be eliminated in accordance with the mandate of Law Number 20 of 2023 on Civil Servants.
Honorary teachers are being directed to enter the government employee scheme with work agreements or PPPK to ensure job and legal certainty. Chair of the FSGI Expert Council, Retno Listyarti, stated that there is currently a teacher crisis in public schools due to the annual retirement of 70,000 PNS teachers.
“The point is, 2027 is not a mass dismissal, but a transition of status from honorary to more formal government contract employees (PPPK). This reorganisation prioritises honorary teachers who are registered in the Dapodik and the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) database,” said Retno Listyarti in a statement to Tempo on Sunday, 10 May 2026.
However, Retno warned that this status change will automatically burden the regional budgets (APBD) of all districts/cities and provinces. This is because only local governments can pay salaries, while the central government only plays a role in adding income through additional income assistance mechanisms and educator professional allowances. Moreover, Retno noted that many regions are already impacted by the central government’s efficiency policies, resulting in reduced APBD.
FSGI General Chair Fahriza Marta Tanjung stated that FSGI supports the Circular Letter of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Number 7 of 2026. The circular mandates local governments to reorganise non-ASN teachers by the end of this year so they can continue serving in 2027 through part-time PPPK appointment schemes.
However, Fahriza emphasised that there must be clear salary guarantees after appointment as part-time PPPK by the state. He warned against non-ASN teachers merely changing status while their salaries continue to come from BOS funds. “Do not let their salaries remain inadequate as they have been and be paid quarterly according to BOS fund disbursements,” said Fahriza.
Fahriza also questioned the ministerial circular that only mentions teachers in Dapodik. He inquired about the fate of honorary teachers not yet entered into Dapodik data as of 31 December 2024, but who are currently teaching in public schools. “Where will they go? What will happen to them? In fact, if counted, their numbers are certainly large,” said Fahriza.
Fahriza noted that the Minister of Education’s circular uses the fiscal year cycle, while the school learning cycle uses the academic year. He said the critical point occurs in June-July when schools enter the new academic year. This needs to be carefully considered in the data to avoid a teacher crisis in public schools across various regions.
FSGI General Secretary Mansur stated that honorary teachers in public schools are currently at the forefront in providing educational services in schools. Because, he said, the annual retirement of 70,000 PNS teachers leads to a teacher crisis in schools.
“FSGI reminds local governments and regional DPRDs at district/city and provincial levels that the status transfer to PPPK must guarantee legal certainty for honorary teachers in public schools and ensure that regional budgets are available to pay these teachers,” said Mansur.
Minister of State Apparatus Utilisation and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) Rini Widyantini stated that the status of non-ASN teachers after 2026 is still under discussion across agencies. The government plans to open ASN recruitment selections gradually starting this year. However, the schedule and quota for 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,” said Rini to Tempo, quoted on Sunday, 10 May 2026.
She explained that the limitation on the working period of non-ASN teachers in the Minister of Education’s circular is not a new policy, but a consequence of the honorary teacher reorganisation that has been implemented since 2023 along with the enactment of Law Number 20 of 2023.
In Article 66 of that law, the reorganisation of non-ASN employees must be completed at the latest in December 2024. “And since then, government agencies are prohibited from appointing non-ASN employees other than PNS or PPPK (government employees with work agreements),” said Rini.
Based on the Minister of Education’s circular, 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.