Prabowo Clarifies Misstatement Regarding 300 Percent Teacher Salary Increase

Teachers’ hopes for a salary increase have once again been dashed. President Prabowo Subianto’s “slip of the tongue” regarding teacher incomes during a plenary session speech at the House of Representatives (DPR) sparked widespread disappointment among educators, though some admitted they were no longer surprised by such letdowns.

On Wednesday, May 20, President Prabowo addressed the parliament building, outlining the macroeconomic framework (KEM) and key fiscal policy principles (PPKF) for the 2027 State Budget Draft (RAPBN).

During his explanatory speech, he declared, “Therefore, my government has raised teachers’ salaries; some have seen increases of almost 300 percent, the income of teachers.” However, within seconds, he corrected himself: “I meant our judges, forgive me, judges.” This immediate retraction left many educators crestfallen.

Coincidentally, thousands of madrasah teachers were demonstrating outside the DPR building at the exact same time, advocating for their rights. These teachers, affiliated with professional organizations such as the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGSI), the Independent Madrasah Teachers Association (PGMM), and the Association of Certified Private Teachers (IGSS), were demanding welfare guarantees and clear employment status.

“Teachers were actually happy for a moment – but only for three seconds. This slip of the tongue, perhaps due to psychology or something else, really impacted us,” stated Iman Zanatul Haeri, Head of Teacher Advocacy at the Education and Teachers Association (P2G), who participated in the protest. He added, “The positive thought is that the President is thinking about teachers. Beyond thinking, please finalize teacher welfare. To this day, it’s not improving; quite the opposite.”

Fahriza Marta Tanjung, General Chairwoman of the Indonesian Teachers’ Union Federation (FSGI), suggested that while President Prabowo might grasp the issues concerning teacher welfare, he appears yet to find concrete solutions.

Tanjung further highlighted the plight of honorary teachers. She noted several instances where honorary teachers received only certification allowances but no actual salary. Many also face profound uncertainty regarding their job continuity. This precarious situation stems from various factors, including schools no longer able to afford payments, or problematic regional finances. Discrepancies between central and regional policies also exacerbate the issue. For example, in West Java, 3,823 honorary staff, predominantly teachers, had not received their salaries for March and April 2026.

The core problem often lies with policies from the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan-RB), which reportedly hinder the disbursement of regional budgets meant to pay honorary staff. The struggles are widespread: on Thursday, May 21, hundreds of PAUD (Early Childhood Education) honorary teachers in Jayapura, Papua, converged on the Jayapura Regency House of Representatives (DPRK) office in Gunung Merah, Sentani District. They demanded clarity on their Regional Performance Allowances (TKD) and incentive funds, which the local government had not paid since January 2025 to May 2026. The regional government, in response, claimed empty coffers.

Separately, Indonesian educators in regions like East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and Makassar expressed profound disappointment and resignation, attributing it to recurring policies that consistently fall short of expectations. “Personally, I am honestly very disappointed. But I’m not overly surprised by the slip of the tongue because issues concerning teacher welfare are simply disregarded everywhere. It’s just empty promises,” stated Ofni Yunita Tameno, a Government Employee with a Work Agreement (PPPK) teacher from Amabi Oefeto, Kupang, NTT.

‘Long years of service, yet left with such unclear status‘

Maria Serliana Mau, a teacher at SDI Blawuk in Watuomok Village, Sikka, NTT, initially felt a fleeting sense of joy. She perceived a moment of government attention to teacher welfare, including for non-civil servant (non-ASN) teachers like herself. “As a non-ASN teacher, I was certainly very happy because finally, teachers were being noticed. But afterwards, I was disappointed. It turns out teachers are still neglected. The increase wasn’t for teachers; it was for judges,” Serli lamented. This English teacher has served as an honorary teacher at SDI Blawuk for a year, receiving a basic salary of only Rp600,000 (approximately US$37) every two or three months.

“It can even be four months because the salary comes from Student Parent Participatory Funds,” Serli revealed, highlighting the precarious funding. To supplement her income and support her daily life, she sells goods online and occasionally takes on odd jobs, as her meager teacher’s salary cannot cover her family’s living expenses. “Monthly, my expenses can easily exceed the salary I receive, totaling around one million rupiahs (approximately US$62) a month,” she explained.

Serli frequently hears news about government teacher salary increases, yet these promised income improvements have unfortunately never materialized. Her sole hope is for government attention to teacher welfare. At a minimum, she wishes the District Education Office could provide recommendation letters for honorary teachers to be included in the Basic Education Data (Dapodik) system, offering a glimmer of official recognition. She also worries about potential layoffs, especially as some civil servant (ASN) teachers in schools still lack sufficient teaching hours. Despite these challenges, Serli remains dedicated to teaching, driven by her goal of educating the nation’s children.

Also in NTT, Ofni Yunita Tameno, a teacher at SMP Negeri 5 Amabi Oefeto, Kupang, desperately hopes her salary will be paid on time. “It must be disbursed on time. And the allowances must truly reach us. No more all sorts of deductions,” she emphasized. Her salary now frequently arrives around the 20th of the month, a stark contrast to the previous payment schedule of the 3rd, leaving some teachers struggling to meet non-negotiable installment deadlines. “Some salaries even arrive but are blocked, requiring a trip to the bank to sort things out before access. Sometimes, we can’t even withdraw that month’s salary because the bank has already taken it all. So, we sometimes end up with nothing,” Ofni revealed, illustrating the severe financial precarity.

Ofni, a teacher for nine years, detailed the numerous deductions from her salary. She is supposed to receive Rp3.2 million (approximately US$198), but her net take-home pay is only Rp1.5 million (approximately US$93). “We have served for so long, yet we are left with such an unclear status. We also have to leave our children and husbands, or some leave their wives, while needing to be at school by seven in the morning. Our teaching locations are often far from home,” she lamented. Furthermore, much-needed training never materializes. “As PPPK teachers, after placement, we are simply left to our own devices; we’ve never been called for anything until today. Promotions or career advancements are never considered. We want to know what our future holds,” Ofni expressed her deep concern.

See also:

• Honorary teachers walk 6km through forests and rivers – ‘Salary isn’t enough, but it’s for the children’
• Largest education budget in history, but almost half for MBG corrected – ‘Teachers seem to be helped’

Nurce Marfianti Taneo, who previously shared her income struggles with BBC Indonesia last January, now has a new story. Initially, after teaching since September 2025, she only received a salary of Rp500,000 in January 2026. Now, she reports receiving a monthly salary, albeit a mere Rp250,000 (approximately US$15). Despite this shift to monthly payments, Nurce admits the amount is insufficient to cover her daily living needs, including the cost of commuting to work. Thus, President Prabowo Subianto‘s speech on Wednesday, May 20, briefly rekindled her hopes. “As teachers, we are called to shape the future of the nation’s children. But we also have responsibilities in our own lives. Our hope is simple: a salary or compensation that can alleviate our personal burdens,” she expressed.

Meanwhile, several teachers in Makassar City, South Sulawesi, felt a moment of gratitude upon hearing Prabowo‘s remark about a salary increase. “Hearing that, of course, as teachers, we were happy, but it turned out not to be true,” said Hery, a teacher at SMA Negeri 5 Makassar. He further added, “If I look at government statements, we already know that they can sometimes change. Let alone those not yet finalized or without legal backing, even determined policies sometimes fail to materialize.”

Hery has been a teacher since 2003, holding honorary teacher status until 2022. In 2023, he successfully passed a selection process, gaining PPPK status with a five-year contract. His initial ambition was to achieve ASN (Civil Servant) status, which would allow him to save a monthly salary for the education of his five children. He had attempted the civil servant examination five times in various regions, including Takalar, Soppeng, Luwu, and Makassar. However, his goal remains unfulfilled, as he still holds PPPK status. Consequently, his hopes of saving have dwindled. His basic salary is insufficient to support his wife, five children, and a cousin whose expenses he also bears. “Based on our needs, sometimes the money already runs thin by mid-month,” he added.

He acknowledges that the certification allowance has been somewhat helpful. “Certification allowances are now received monthly, whereas previously they were quarterly. With a certification allowance of Rp3.2 million (approximately US$198) according to my grade, plus my salary of Rp3.2 million, the total of Rp6.4 million (approximately US$397) sustains seven people, including myself,” he explained, highlighting the critical role this allowance plays in supporting his large family.

Meanwhile, Arno, a teacher since 2006 who achieved ASN status in 2010, commented on the rumored Rp2 million (approximately US$124) salary or allowance increase for teachers. He stated that such an increase is a rightful entitlement from the government, though he noted that the actual increase has not reached Rp2 million.

How Prabowo’s Promises to Teachers Have Materialized

During his presidential campaign, one of Prabowo’s frequently reiterated promises was to increase teacher salaries and establish a minimum wage for educators, a commitment embedded within his “Asta Cita” program. Later, at the National Teacher’s Day celebration in Jakarta in November 2024, Prabowo announced that teacher salary increases would commence in 2025.

The specifics outlined an increase equivalent to one month’s salary for ASN teachers and a professional allowance of Rp2 million (approximately US$124) per month for non-ASN teachers. However, just days later, in early December 2024, the Palace, via the Presidential Communication Office (PCO), clarified Prabowo‘s National Teacher’s Day statement. The clarification stated that the increase in professional allowance would only be Rp500,000 (approximately US$31). When combined with the previous allowance of Rp1.5 million (approximately US$93), the total indeed reached Rp2 million.

This clarification aligns with the experiences of teachers on the ground, as attested by Iman Zanatul Haeri of P2G and Fahriza Marta Tanjung of FSGI. Another form of assistance offered is the Wage Subsidy Assistance (BSU), amounting to approximately Rp300,000 (approximately US$18.5) per month. “This kind of assistance treats teachers not as professionals with a career but more like social aid recipients. Yet, we are actively working,” Iman emphasized, underscoring the perceived professional disrespect.

Instead of these temporary measures, Iman advocates for the fulfillment of the promise to establish a minimum wage for teachers. Currently, both salaries and honoraria for teachers do not adhere to regional minimum wage standards. Even for regionally compensated honorary teachers, their remuneration consistently falls below this minimum threshold. Therefore, he believes that setting a minimum wage for teachers is critically necessary.

The regulation of honorary teachers through the Circular Letter of the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Number 7 Year 2026 also requires clarification. Iman and Fahriza acknowledge the good intentions behind this rule, but they argue that its imprecise implementation could foster injustice among teachers. Separately, Nunuk Suryani, Director General of Teachers and Education Personnel at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, stated that this circular serves as a reference for regional governments to extend the assignments and salaries of non-ASN teachers registered in Dapodik before December 2024. However, in practice, the arrangement for honorary teachers has caused significant unrest, with Fahriza observing that the government appears bewildered regarding viable solutions.

“On one hand, the government states that honorary teachers are still desperately needed. But on the other hand, the government also seems to have no immediate clear options for how to arrange them. If honorary positions were abolished and their employment status elevated, that would be better. But there’s no news on recruitment selections yet,” Fahriza expressed. According to Workload Analysis (ABK) data, Indonesia faces a deficit of approximately 374,000 teachers in public schools. The primary challenge is uneven distribution: a concentration of teachers in urban areas coexists with a severe teacher crisis in disadvantaged, remote, and outermost regions (3T).

See also:

• Where are teachers considered a respected profession? How about in Indonesia?
• The case of Hervina and the plight of honorary teachers: ‘A dilemma between low salary, dedication without certainty, and love for the job’

Historically, this shortage of teaching staff has been cushioned by honorary teachers. Existing data shows approximately 237,196 honorary teachers in public schools registered within the national education system at the beginning of 2026. This critical need, however, is not matched by adequate funding capabilities. The 20% allocation of the State Budget (APBN) for education has not been properly utilized during the current administration. Iman and Fahriza argue that the increased education budget is largely being diverted to fund the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, leading once again to the sacrifice of teacher welfare.

“Furthermore, transfers to regional governments have also shrunk. This explains the widespread phenomenon in various regions where honorary teachers go unpaid for months. In Serang City, for instance, they haven’t been paid for three months. There are also cases where PPPK teachers’ contracts are not extended, or they are directly dismissed,” Iman revealed. He continued, explaining that regional performance allowances (TKD) — central-to-regional transfers — largely constituted education budgets. “But now, it turns out the education budget is being used for MBG. So, looking at this, fiscal tightening in the regions is making teacher welfare increasingly uncertain.”

This report was also contributed to by Arnold Welianto and Eliazar Robert from East Nusa Tenggara, and Darul Amri from South Sulawesi.

• Tens of thousands of SPPG employees to be appointed as ASN, what about the fate of honorary teachers without job certainty? – ‘Hurting the sense of justice’
• Criminal case of honorary teachers holding multiple positions – What about ministers, police, and soldiers who hold more than one position?

• MBG budget of Rp335 trillion challenged in Constitutional Court for ‘consuming’ one-third of education funds – How likely is it to be granted by judges?
• Case of 107 honorary teachers in Jakarta fired for being deemed ‘non-compliant with regulations’