Regional Fiscal Constraints Seen as Obstacle to Appointing Honorary Teachers as Civil Servants

Jakarta — Abdul Fikri Faqih, a member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, has said that regional fiscal constraints are among the challenges in managing honorary teachers, or non-civil service staff (non-ASN). He cited a region with 6,000 honorary teachers but only able to propose 500 ASN formations. “When we asked, the regional financial analysis did not include it. So the shortfall is 5,500. This is real, and if not resolved, it will keep going,” Faqih said at a working meeting with the Ministry of Education, Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), as quoted from TVR Parlemen’s YouTube broadcast on Tuesday (19 May 2026). The hope is that Circular Letter No. 7 of 2026 from the Minister of Education, Primary and Secondary Education (SE 7/2026) can be one solution for non-ASN teachers in many regions. “If this SE acts as a bridge, in my view this is an achievement,” Faqih said. “Admittedly, it still creates a negative perception. Even though this has been clarified, I share the same view: there is no need to panic. Let us think positively; this could actually accelerate the process of becoming an ASN.” In the meeting, Kemendikdasmen emphasised not banning non-ASN teachers from teaching in 2027. Circular Letter No. 7/2026 is not intended to stop honorary teachers, but to serve as a reference for regional governments in determining the status of non-ASN teachers. “There is no statement in the SE that says non-ASN teachers are prohibited from teaching in 2027. So what is to be regulated is their status, not the termination of their teaching,” said Nunuk Suryani, Director-General for Teachers and Education Personnel (GTK) at Kemendikdasmen. “Thus, the SE is not meant as a policy to halt non-ASN teachers, but as a reference so that teachers continue to teach and local governments have considerations to re-employ them,” Nunuk added. Nevertheless, she acknowledged there are differences in interpretation among regional governments regarding the Circular. “Non-ASN teachers can still teach, there is no need to worry,” she asserted.