Teachers' Complaints Over Free Nutritious Meals Programme Reach Constitutional Court: Dismissals and Wages as Low as Rp 50,000

The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme has once again come under scrutiny during a judicial review hearing on the education budget at the Constitutional Court (MK). In the session on Monday, witnesses from the teaching profession and professional education organisations assessed that the implementation of MBG has impacted teacher welfare, the quality of learning, and the allocation of the education budget. One witness, Iman Zanatul Khairi, a history teacher at Madrasah Aliyah Alsaqofah who also serves as Head of Teacher Advocacy for the Education and Teachers Association (P2G), conveyed various complaints submitted by teachers in several regions following the programme’s implementation in 2026. Iman stated that issues regarding teacher welfare existed before MBG was rolled out. However, according to him, the situation has worsened after a portion of the education budget was used to support the programme. He cited the delayed payment of professional allowances for madrasah teachers in early 2026. According to him, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, through a circular signed by the Secretary General, stated that the professional allowances could not yet be paid due to the unavailability of budget allocation. ‘Thus, it is very apparent that there has been a reduction in the education budget which has had a direct impact on me,’ Iman told the panel of constitutional justices. As a P2G administrator handling teacher advocacy, Iman admitted to receiving numerous reports regarding the impact of education policy on the welfare of educators. He even described the emergence of ‘teacher castes’ that have become more visible following the introduction of the part-time Government Employee with Work Agreement (PPPK) scheme. According to him, the hope that honorary teachers would obtain a better life after being appointed as part-time PPPK teachers has not been fully realised. He mentioned cases of part-time PPPK teachers receiving extremely low incomes. In his testimony, Iman quoted several reports received from various regions. Among them, part-time PPPK teachers in Langkat Regency, North Sumatra, and Blitar reportedly received a salary of around Rp 500,000 per month. There was even a report of a teacher in Sumedang who only received Rp 50,000. The region paying that wage claimed there was no budget due to the impact of efficiency measures. ‘That amount was still subject to BPJS deductions, so what was received in the account was Rp 15,000, which could not be withdrawn,’ he told the panel of justices while holding back tears. He also reported contract terminations for teachers in several regions. According to him, 39 PPPK teachers in Tuban lost their jobs, while similar cases were reported in other areas such as Cianjur, East Lombok, and Langkat. ‘After the 2026 MBG programme, there were mass terminations of employment for P3K teachers who were considered already prosperous, and they were dismissed, along with honorary teachers. Honorary teachers who had been appointed as part-time PPPK teachers also received salaries below those of honorary teachers,’ he said. He understands that local governments have an obligation to pay the honoraria of PPPK teachers. This obligation has recently become difficult for local governments to fulfil due to central budget efficiency measures, which he believes are also linked to the funding of the MBG programme. Iman quoted a part-time PPPK teacher at a state junior high school in Serang Regency, Banten, who stated: ‘Due to budget limitations, the region cannot pay teachers as it should. The regional budget is cut directly by the central government. In fact, this budget should be able to be used to pay the salaries of part-time PPPK teachers. Because the budget has been reduced, salary payments cannot be made as they should be.’ He also cited a part-time PPPK teacher at a state junior high school in Rokan Hulu, Riau: ‘I am a part-time PPPK teacher affected by the zero formation from the Pre-service PPG graduates. Since being inaugurated in December 2025 until March 2026, I have not received a single penny of salary. Instead of obtaining certification, my salary has actually been paid late.’ Finally, a PPPK teacher at a state primary school in Tulungagung, East Java, reported: ‘With the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, our salaries have become very minimal. The learning process is also not conducive because the children’s attention is more focused on the MBG programme. On the other hand, our school’s facilities and infrastructure still require repairs, but to date these have not been realised.’