Contract educators say they feel sidelined as free meal spending rises and welfare promises remain vague.
A slip of the tongue by President Prabowo Subianto in Parliament – briefly saying teachers would get a 300 per cent pay rise before correcting himself to “judges” – has reignited frustration among Indonesia’s low-paid contract teachers, who say welfare pledges are not matched by political will or budget priorities.
Slip Of The Tongue, Deeper Wounds
During a rare address to the House on Wednesday, Prabowo said he would raise “teachers’ salaries by 300 per cent” before quickly correcting himself and saying the increase was meant for judges. For 23‑year‑old contract teacher Azzahra in Tangerang, who earns just Rp 500,000 (about US$28) a month to teach math, the moment was painful. “It felt like we were being mocked and unappreciated,” she told The Jakarta Post, adding that teacher issues “are never treated as a main priority.”
Nonpermanent Teachers Far Below Legal Standards
Indonesian Teachers Association (P2G) representative Satriwan Salim said many nonpermanent teachers in public schools are paid even less than those in private institutions, despite the 2005 Teachers and Lecturers Law guaranteeing incomes above a minimum living standard. He described welfare for non-civil servant teachers as “far from humane,” accusing the state of failing to honour its own legal commitments.
Contract Hiring And PPPK Scheme Under Fire
The 2023 Civil Servant Law formally banned the recruitment of new contract teachers from 2024, yet regional administrations have continued doing so. At the same time, the government’s scheme to upgrade existing nonpermanent teachers into part-time government contract employees (PPPK) has been criticised for not fixing low pay levels. While PPPK status is meant to be a path to permanent civil-servant roles, critics say many teachers remain stuck on insecure, poorly paid terms.
Free Meal Spending Versus Classroom Needs
Prabowo has repeatedly vowed to improve teacher welfare, including in his Asta Cita national development vision and again in Wednesday’s speech, but P2G remains sceptical. Of the Rp 769 trillion (20 per cent of total spending) allocated to education in the 2026 state budget, about Rp 223 trillion is earmarked for his flagship free nutritious meal programme. Plaintiffs have challenged the budget at the Constitutional Court, arguing the rollout diverts funds from constitutionally mandated education and teacher spending, even as the Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry points to allowances, training and competency programmes as evidence of support.
Confusion Over Teacher Status And Future Security
Teacher anxiety was inflamed in early May when a ministry circular on non-civil servant teacher assignments dropped the term “nonformal” teacher, leading many contract educators, including Azzahra, to fear they could be pushed out. The ministry later clarified that the circular did not intend to dismiss them, but doubts persist over job security and whether education budgets will truly be used to improve salaries rather than headline programmes. P2G’s Satriwan said meaningful change now hinges on Prabowo’s political goodwill and how the education budget is actually prioritised.
Prabowo’s brief “teacher salary” slip may have been a mistake, but for Indonesia’s contract teachers it crystallised a long-standing sense of neglect as they juggle poverty-level pay against rising expectations in classrooms. For Indonesians and Singaporeans, the episode illustrates how grand education budgets and flagship programmes mean little if the people at the front of the classroom cannot earn a decent living—and why rebuilding trust will require concrete, transparent steps to put teachers at the centre of education policy, not at its margins.
Sources: Asia News Network (2026) , The Jakarta Post (2026)
Keywords: Nonpermanent Teachers, PPPK Scheme, 2005 Teachers Law, Rp769 Trillion Education Budget, Free Nutritious Meal Programme
