Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Clarifies Rumours of Non-ASN Teachers Being Laid Off: We Still Need Them

Kupang, VIVA – The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has clarified misinformation suggesting that non-ASN teachers will be laid off in 2027. The Director General of Teachers and Education Personnel (Dirjen GTK) of Kemendikdasmen, Nunuk Suryani, emphasised that the ministry still greatly requires the roles of non-ASN teachers to address teacher formation shortages in various regions. “There are more than 200,000 non-ASN teachers recorded in Dapodik; they do not yet have ASN status and teach in public schools. According to our data, we still need their presence,” said Nunuk in NTT Province on Tuesday, 5 May 2026. The statement was made while accompanying the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti at the groundbreaking ceremony for the revitalisation of educational units at SD Inpres Noelbaki, Kupang Regency. Therefore, she continued, Kemendikdasmen issued Circular Letter of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education No. 7 of 2026 to provide certainty on the extension of employment terms and salaries for non-ASN teachers, whose arrangements are considered completed no later than December 2024 based on Law No. 20 of 2023 on ASN. Through this circular letter, Nunuk said Kemendikdasmen provides job and salary certainty for non-ASN teachers until 31 December 2026, with the provision that non-ASN teachers holding educator certificates and meeting workload requirements receive teacher professional allowances in accordance with applicable regulations. Additionally, based on the same circular letter, she said non-ASN teachers with educator certificates but not meeting workload requirements will receive incentives from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. Finally, non-ASN teachers without educator certificates will receive incentives from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. “We issued this circular letter because local governments need a reference to continue extending the non-ASN teachers,” Nunuk stated. Regarding the future of non-ASN teachers after 31 December 2026, she said Kemendikdasmen is currently formulating a new scheme related to the assignment of non-ASN teachers, whose roles are still very much needed to meet teacher needs, especially in 3T regions. Therefore, she reaffirmed that the ministry will continue to advocate for non-ASN teachers based on their required roles and will not lay them off, contrary to recent widespread reports.