Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Strengthens Universal Participation to Meet Teacher Availability

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) is strengthening universal participation to meet the availability of competent teachers while improving teacher welfare as a key to equitable education services throughout Indonesia. Director General of Teachers and Education Personnel (Dirjen GTK) of Kemendikdasmen, Nunuk Suryani, during the Coordination Meeting on the Implementation of Kemendikdasmen Priority Programmes, outlined the current direction of national education policy, which embraces the vision of Quality Education for All. “Quality education for all essentially provides access to education without discrimination. Every child has the right to receive decent education services and opportunities to develop their potential,” Nunuk said in a written statement in Jakarta on Tuesday. To realise this vision, she stated that the Government is implementing various priority programmes in 2026, one of which focuses on strengthening teacher professionalism. “GTK is carrying out various priority programmes such as strengthening teacher professionalism, aimed at welfare through the completion of certification and improvement of academic qualifications,” she said. Nunuk added that the national education transformation continues to be strengthened through various means. “Honorary teachers who are still around, we still very much need them. We urge them not to be laid off because they continue to perform important functions in learning,” she emphasised. On a national scale, she acknowledged that the challenge of meeting teacher needs remains a strategic issue. Every year, she continued, around 70,000 to 80,000 teachers enter retirement, while the shortage of teachers continues to accumulate. “Every year, 70,000 to 80,000 of our teachers retire. This shortage continues to accumulate, so fulfilling teacher needs becomes a priority that must be addressed immediately,” said Nunuk. Not only efforts to meet the number of educators, but her side is also continuously striving to improve teacher quality through accelerated certification and enhancement of teachers’ academic qualifications. Currently, she said, the national certification achievement has exceeded 92 percent. “Nationally, we have achieved over 92 percent certified teachers. The remainder are those who do not yet meet S1 qualifications, and we are pushing this through the D4/S1 qualification scholarship programme,” she stated.