Ministry of Religious Affairs Explains Delays in Madrasah Teacher Allowance Distribution
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued a statement regarding the delayed distribution of professional allowances (tunjangan profesi guru - TPG) for madrasah teachers. Thobib Al Asyhar, head of the ministry’s public relations bureau, stated that the ministry is currently working to consolidate efforts to ensure the allowances can be distributed. “The ministry is working on this and consolidating. In principle, TPG will be paid in accordance with regulations,” Thobib said when contacted on Friday, 27 February 2026. When asked about the timing for the disbursement of allowances to madrasah teachers, he did not provide a definitive answer, nor did he comment on the availability of budgetary allocations for the teacher allowances.
Prior to this statement, several madrasah teachers had expressed concerns about the lack of certainty regarding when their TPG would be paid. One madrasah teacher, Iman Zanatul Haeri, highlighted these concerns following the release of an official letter from the Ministry of Religious Affairs about TPG distribution for madrasah teachers in 2026. Iman stated that teachers who completed professional teacher education (pendidikan profesi guru - PPG) in 2025 are at risk of not receiving their professional allowances. The third point in the letter issued by the Directorate General of Islamic Education stated that allowances would remain withheld pending the release of budgetary allocations.
“It is already Ramadan, and Eid is approaching soon. Madrasah teachers, whose salaries are already modest, have been hoping for the TPG. Now they have lost hope of being able to celebrate Eid properly,” Iman said when contacted on Thursday, 26 February 2026. Iman provided a copy of the letter in question, which was addressed to all regional office heads of the Ministry of Religious Affairs at the provincial level, as well as heads of madrasah education and Islamic education divisions. The letter, dated 25 February 2026, was signed on behalf of the director general and the director of madrasah teachers and education, Fasal Musaad.
The letter stated that professional teacher allowances for January and February 2026 could not yet be paid. Specifically, TPG could not be distributed to teachers and madrasah principals who graduated from PPG programmes in 2025. According to a circular from the ministry’s secretary general dated 27 January 2026 concerning the payment of professional allowances to teachers who have been certified in 2025, the payment of professional allowances to madrasah teachers and principals who graduated from PPG in 2025—despite having obtained their teacher registration number (NRG)—would temporarily remain unpaid until budgetary allocations became available.
Beyond the issue of clarity regarding professional allowances, other points in the letter requested that regional offices and madrasah education heads undertake data adjustment processes, including adjustments to teacher status records. This includes updating records for transferred teachers and processing teacher registration number (NRG) applications for PPG graduates who have received their education certificates but have not yet obtained their NRG. The ministry also requested that teaching schedules and teacher workloads be input promptly.
“All heads of relevant divisions and parties are expected to take swift and tactical measures to ensure that TPG can be distributed no later than 16 March 2026,” according to the second point of the letter.