Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education: Gibran Submitted Equivalence Application Online in 2019
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has stated that Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka submitted an application for the equivalence of his foreign schooling in 2019. The ministry noted that Gibran applied for this equivalence online in 2019.
“On 6 August 20<0xA0>August 2019, the applicant submitted an equivalence request through the online service of the Directorate General of Primary and Secondary Education,” said the Director General of Early Childhood, Primary, and Non-formal and Informal Education at Kemendikdasmen, Gogot Suharwoto, during the hearing for lawsuit 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026 at the Constitutional Court on Friday (2/10/2026).
Gogot stated that Kemendikdasmen subsequently conducted an assessment of the documents submitted by Gibran. He noted that the assessment team at the ministry determined Gibran’s education was equivalent to the vocational high school (SMK) level.
“In the assessment analysis, the subjects at UTS Insearch, Australia, including Accounting, Financial Management, Business Law and Ethics, Marketing, Microeconomics, and Management, were matched or deemed equivalent to the curriculum structure of the SMK subjects in the accounting and finance field,” said Gogot.
“It can be concluded that based on the comparison of learning outcomes or graduation competency standards, the educational history was assessed to be consistent with the accounting and finance specialisation or expertise programme at the vocational high school level,” he continued.
“It pertains to secondary 3 and secondary 4 levels. Furthermore, the output from Orchid Secondary School was the GCE O-level certificate, specifically the O-level or ordinary level certificate,” added Taufiq, who was also called to testify in the Constitutional Court hearing.
Taufiq stated that the authorities assessed the subsequent level of education Gibran pursued at UTS Insearch during 2005-2006, which was a Diploma of Business Studies. He noted that the documents submitted at the time included a certificate of attendance and academic transcripts.
“There were also transcripts and a letter of enrolment confirming that the individual was enrolled. From there, we naturally assessed the subjects taken during the two years he attended the course,” said Taufiq.
The lawsuit was filed by former Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights Denny Indrayana along with 11 other petitioners. The application was submitted on 10 September 2026 and officially registered by the Constitutional Court on 17 September 2026 under case number 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026. The preliminary examination of the application was held at the Constitutional Court on Monday (21/9).
The respondents in this lawsuit are the General Elections Commission (KPU) of Indonesia, with the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) as a related party. The petitioners argue that the alleged failure to meet Gibran’s educational requirements only recently came to light and that information regarding this matter was suppressed.
The petitioners stated that if the trial evidence shows Gibran meets the educational requirements, the Court may affirm the validity of his candidacy. Conversely, if the evidence shows he does not meet the requirements, the Court must impose disqualification.
“The petitioners are merely requesting a fair opportunity so that the legal truth regarding the fulfilment of Gibrante Rakabuming Raka’s educational requirements at the time he was designated as a vice-presidential candidate can be tested through an open, impartial, transparent, and accountable evidentiary trial,” said the petitioner.