UI Students Prepare to Storm Ministry of Education Offices

Students from Universitas Indonesia (UI) will hold a demonstration in front of the offices of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education on Jalan Sudirman in Central Jakarta on Monday, 4 May 2026. They are staging the action to commemorate National Education Day.

Before heading to the protest site, UI students wearing yellow jackets gathered at the FISIP field. They created various banners and attributes with messages such as “Education Seized, MBG Full Throttle”, “Teachers Emasculated, Ministers Partying”, “Forced to Collapse by a Nearly Collapsed State”, “Don’t Let Yourself Be Forced to Be Ignorant”, and others.

UI BEM Chairman, Yatalathof Ma’shum Imawan, revealed that this action is related to national education policies that are still not on target.

“Instead of the government improving education policies, it is seeking alternative ways to close irrelevant programmes. However, that is actually not appropriate,” said the man familiarly known as Athof.

BEM UI is also raising other demands regarding employment and the welfare of lecturers and students. “That has also not been achieved due to the cannibalisation of the education budget for MBG (Free Nutritious Meals),” said Athof.

There are five demands that BEM UI will raise in this action. The first is rejecting the cannibalisation of the education budget for MBG.

Second, demanding improvements in the welfare of teachers, honorary teachers, lecturers, and educational staff. Third, pushing for the birth of quality education policies.

Fourth, creating a safe campus environment free from all forms of violence, including sexual violence. Fifth, rejecting the commercialisation of education.

At the ministries, Athof continued, BEM UI will join with BEM Politeknik Negeri Jakarta (PNJ), BEM Seluruh Indonesia Rakyat Bangkit, and others. “From us, there are around 200 to 300 students from 15 faculties at UI,” said Athof.

Previously, students from various campuses affiliated with the Me(i)lawan alliance will also hold a demo in the Horse Statue area, Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta. They are staging the action to commemorate National Education Day, raising demands to President Prabowo.

The demands include rejecting the government’s plan to eliminate study programmes at state universities. Because education is not created solely to meet market needs, but to enlighten the nation’s life and develop critical thinking.

The other demands are almost the same as those raised by UI students.