Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Outlines Commitment to Improving Teacher Welfare Governance
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has presented a series of strategies to address various issues faced by teachers, ranging from limited access to competency development and imbalances in workload and welfare to uneven distribution.
“It is impossible for us to encourage teachers to become professionals without considering the aspect of welfare. Conversely, if teachers demand too much welfare while ignoring professionalism, it will also be unbalanced,” stated the Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Fajar Riza Ul Haq, in a written statement in Jakarta on Monday.
As a concrete step, he said, the Government is accelerating the implementation of the Teacher Professional Education (PPG) program this year for 230,000 active teachers who have not yet obtained teaching certificates. By 2025, the Government successfully completed certification for more than 800 teachers, an acceleration that will continue in the following years.
For teachers who do not yet possess a bachelor’s or diploma degree, the Ministry, through the S-1/D-4 Teacher Academic Qualification Fulfilment programme, provides an accelerated pathway via Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). This pathway, he continued, serves as formal recognition of the work experience and competencies already acquired. Through this mechanism, teachers will only require two years of study instead of a full four years, as their years of service are recognised by the government. For 2026, the government aims to target 150,000 teachers for this programme.
Regarding welfare, under the initiative of President Prabowo, the Teacher Professional Allowance (TPG) has been increased from Rp1.5 million to Rp2 million per month. Deputy Minister Fajar stated that this increase is granted to teachers who meet the minimum qualifications according to Law Number 14 of 2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers (S1/D4 degree and completion of PPG) and fulfil their workload or teaching hours (JP).
New teachers who complete the PPG and meet the administrative requirements will receive the TPG amount of Rp2 million directly, without having to start from the Rp1.5 million rate.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is also reforming teacher workloads to focus more on learning. Through Ministry Regulation (Permendikdasmen) Number 11 of 2025, the teacher workload is regulated at 37 hours and 30 minutes per week, excluding break times. This workload, Fajar noted, does not only include classroom teaching but also encompasses all professional duties in supporting the learning process, including planning, implementing, and assessing learning outcomes, guiding and training students, and performing additional tasks related to core teaching duties.