Private Madrasah Teachers Rally in Front of DPR, Seek ASN Status
Protesters from Persatuan Guru Madrasah Mandiri (PGMM) and Persatuan Guru Seluruh Indonesia (PGSI) gathered in front of the Indonesian Parliament (DPR) on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. They carried headbands bearing their group initials and banners demanding parity and welfare equal to that of public school teachers. One banner urged: ‘ASN-kan guru swasta di sekolah/madrasah swasta dengan Undang-Undang yang baru. Amendemen UU guru dan dosen-UU ASN’ (Make private school/madrasah teachers civil servants under the new law; amend the teacher and lecturer act—the ASN Act). Another banner read: ‘Hapus dikotomi dan diskriminasi guru Indonesia’ (End the dichotomy and discrimination against Indonesian teachers).
The protesters sang and beat tambourines as they argued that private school teachers perform duties equivalent to civil servants. Delegations from across Indonesia attended, including representatives from Banjarnegara, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Tasikmalaya, Sukabumi, and others.
One speaker, Tedi, representing PGMM, said many private madrasah teachers have served for 20 years yet remain under hardship. He argued that the state has not sided with teachers, particularly contract-based (honorary) teachers. ‘Thus our country seems absent, not siding with private honorary teachers. They are not recognised, as if the golden child is those newly appointed—six to twelve months old, right?’ he shouted from a rallying vehicle. The demonstrators criticised government policy toward teachers as selective, claiming the state only considers teachers in certain programmes.
‘Is that logical? Is that rational? No, in my view! We have fought for decades, hundreds of years, even some have died! Today we are protesting; today we act; tomorrow a colleague may die. And that is very sad, ladies and gentlemen. Therefore, we will continue to fight for our rights!’ he asserted.
In addition, there were protests by ride-hailing drivers (ojol) nearby, who wore red and black. The ojol protesters urged the DPR to pass the Driver Protection Act and rejected commission cuts by apps they say choke drivers.