Why Prabowo Wants Centralized Teacher Recruitment

Why Prabowo Wants Centralized Teacher Recruitment

Reporter

September 17, 2026 | 09:27 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government is considering a proposal to pull the authority over teacher recruitment and appointment back to the central administration. President Prabowo Subianto said the move could help narrow the gap in the quality of educators across regions.

He disclosed the plan during the “Presiden Prabowo Menjawab” (President Prabowo Answers) program, broadcast across his personal social media accounts on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. “Now, if I am not mistaken, we are discussing bringing the right to appoint teachers back to the central government,” he said.

According to the Gerindra Party chair, the push to reclaim this authority stems from persistent issues at the local government level. Prabowo believes regional hiring is often compromised by political patronage and nepotism, ultimately lowering the standard of teacher quality.

“We must face reality. Is the regent being objective, or is he appointing his relatives as teachers? His campaign team? This is our dilemma,” he added.

Meanwhile, the state head is preparing a new policy to tackle quality disparities in underprivileged schools. One of them involves recruiting top university graduates across various disciplines to fill emergency teaching roles.

He described the initiative as a “crash program.” “Perhaps I will recruit the best graduates from all faculties to become emergency teachers. Let’s say, emergency teachers whom we deploy to schools,” he stated.

Prabowo hosted seven media leaders and radio presenters at his residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, for an exclusive interview. The session was broadcast under the title “Presiden Prabowo Menjawab” on Wednesday, August 17, 2026, across his personal social media channels.

Read: Prabowo Explains Why He’s Establishing URI Amid ‘Deep State’ Concerns

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