JPPI Criticises Circular Limiting Honorary Teachers' Tenure
The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) has criticised the Circular from the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Number 7 of 2026, which limits the tenure of non-Civil Servant (ASN) teachers, or honorary teachers, in public schools to only until 31 December 2026. JPPI National Coordinator Ubaid Matraji stated that this policy demonstrates the state’s increasing bias towards ASN teachers only.
“Meanwhile, millions of non-ASN teachers who have long supported educational services are left living in uncertainty,” Ubaid said in an official statement on Friday, 8 May 2026.
Ubaid assessed that this policy is dangerous because it has the potential to gradually expel honorary teachers from public schools. The government, he said, may claim there is no sudden dismissal. However, he sees the state preparing a systematic termination of the non-ASN teacher system. “Without a clear and fair solution for everyone,” he stated.
According to Ubaid, in various regions, dismissals have already affected many honorary (non-ASN) teachers and part-time Government Employees with Work Agreements (PPPK). Yet for decades, these honorary teachers have filled the shortage of educators. “Due to the state’s negligence in providing teaching staff,” he said.
Ubaid also criticised the government’s focus solely on the ASN scheme in public schools. Meanwhile, millions of non-ASN teachers in private schools and private madrasahs are neglected in terms of their rights.
“The state seems to be saying that only ASN teachers deserve prosperity, while honorary teachers are just ‘emergency personnel’ who are used and then discarded,” Ubaid said.
Based on JPPI data for the 2025/2026 academic year, there are approximately 2.3 million teachers with non-ASN status in public and private schools/madrasahs. This data is processed from Emis GTK Kemenag and Dapo Kemendikdasmen 2025/2026.
JPPI also views this issue as a direct result of mismanagement of national education fiscal affairs. Education budgets that should be prioritised for fulfilling basic education rights, especially the provision and welfare of teachers, are increasingly directed towards populist programmes that do not address the root problems of education.
“The state is busy funding the MBG (free nutritious meals) eating programme, while millions of teachers still live on unworthy wages and uncertain employment status,” Ubaid said.
In fact, according to Ubaid, Indonesia’s current education crisis is not because children lack momentary consumption at school. But because the state has failed to provide sufficient, quality, and prosperous teachers. There are still schools in various regions lacking teachers, damaged classrooms, and increasing teacher workloads.
“However, education budgets are not seriously directed to improve one of the main foundations of national education: teachers,” Ubaid said.
JPPI urges the government to immediately stop the discriminatory approach in national teacher governance. The state must be present for all Indonesian teachers, not just benefiting ASN teachers. The government is obliged to prepare a roadmap for the appointment and protection that is fair for all non-ASN teachers, both in public and private schools, accompanied by funding schemes that guarantee their welfare.
Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti previously stated that the ban on non-ASN teachers teaching from 30 December 2026 aims to provide status certainty and welfare to teachers. The ban is stated in the Minister’s Circular Number 7 of 2026 on the Assignment of Non-Civil Servant (ASN) Teachers in Educational Units, issued on 23 March 2026.
Mu’ti explained that the decision is a follow-up to the implementation of the 2023 ASN Law which prohibits honorary or non-ASN personnel from teaching in public schools. According to Mu’ti, the decision should have been implemented in 2024. However, due to many unresolved honorary issues, the ministerial decision prohibiting non-ASN teachers from teaching in public schools will only apply in 2027.
“So this is actually a consequence of the implementation of the ASN Law which should apply in 2024,” Mu’ti said at a press conference at the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) Office in Jakarta, on Wednesday, 6 May 2026.
Mu’ti said the Ministry of Education understands the concerns felt by non-ASN teachers regarding the implementation of this policy. However, he assured that this regulation is carried out to provide status certainty for non-ASN teachers.
Currently, Mu’ti added, the Ministry of Basic Education together with the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan-RB) is formulating a new strategy for appointing non-ASN teachers to become civil servants or other schemes so that their status is clearer and in accordance with legislation.