Minister: 43 Million Students Have Received Free Nutritious Meals

The government continues to strengthen the transformation of the national education sector through various strategic programmes, ranging from the implementation of Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) to the construction of Integrated National Schools. This effort was among the topics discussed during a meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (11/6). During the meeting, Abdul Mu’ti outlined the progress of several education programmes, including the implementation of the MBG programme, which is considered to support the strengthening of student character through the 7 Habits of Great Indonesian Children (7 KAIH) movement. According to Abdul Mu’ti, one of the key points in the movement is the application of healthy and nutritious eating patterns, now realised through the MBG programme in schools. “As of 10 June 2026, 80.7 percent of students have received benefits from the MBG programme. Out of approximately 53 million students in Indonesia, more than 43 million students have received and felt the benefits of the programme,” said Abdul Mu’ti. He added that survey results and various feedback from the programme’s implementation indicate that the majority of students hope the programme can continue. In addition, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has prepared a number of supporting modules to strengthen the implementation of MBG in schools. “Several studies conducted, including from Labsosio – the Centre for Sociological Studies at the University of Indonesia, state that MBG has had a positive impact on learning motivation, school attendance rates, and student academic achievement,” he said. On the same occasion, Abdul Mu’ti also reported on the progress of the Integrated National School programme, which is part of the government’s strategy to build a superior education ecosystem. He explained that Integrated National Schools are designed as non-boarding excellent schools with quality education services and integrated learning standards. “The government, through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, plans to build 100 integrated national schools, and 36 school proposals have already been selected for construction to begin this year,” he revealed. In the initial phase, Abdul Mu’ti said, five schools will be opened by utilising buildings of the Ministry’s Technical Implementation Units in the regions. Additionally, one school will be built in the Nusantara Capital City (IKN), while nine other schools will be newly built in designated areas. “One school will be built in the Nusantara Capital City (IKN), and nine other schools will be newly built in the designated areas,” he concluded.