Prabowo Clarifies 300% Teacher Salary Hike Was a Slip of the Tongue

Hopes for a significant increase in Indonesian teacher salaries have, once again, been dashed. President Prabowo Subianto’s “slip of the tongue” regarding teacher incomes during a plenary session at the House of Representatives (DPR) sparked widespread disappointment among educators, though many admitted they were no longer surprised by such developments.

On Wednesday, May 20, President Prabowo addressed parliament to outline the macroeconomic framework (KEM) and key fiscal policies (PPKF) for the 2027 State Budget Draft (RAPBN). Amidst his detailed explanation, he stated: “Therefore, my government has raised teacher salaries; some have seen increases of almost 300 percent, the income of teachers.”

However, within a mere few seconds, he corrected his statement.

“(I meant) our judges, I’m sorry, judges,” he clarified.

Coinciding with this very moment, thousands of madrasah teachers were demonstrating outside the DPR building, advocating for their rights. Teachers affiliated with various professional organizations, including the All-Indonesia Teachers Union (PGSI), the Independent Madrasah Teachers Association (PGMM), and the Association of Certified Private Teachers (IGSS), demanded guarantees for their welfare and clarity regarding their employment status.

“Teachers were actually happy for a moment. But it only lasted three seconds. The effect of this slip of the tongue, perhaps due to psychology or something,” commented Iman Zanatul Haeri, Head of Teacher Advocacy at the Association of Education and Teachers (P2G), who participated in the demonstration.

“The positive thought is that the President is thinking about teachers. Beyond just thinking, please resolve this teacher welfare issue. To this day, it’s not improving; quite the opposite,” he added.

Fahriza Marta Tanjung, General Chair of the Federation of Indonesian Teacher Unions (FSGI), suggested that Prabowo might grasp the issues related to teacher welfare but has yet to find concrete solutions.

Fahriza further highlighted the plight of honorary teachers, who often face precarious employment conditions. She noted several instances where these educators received only certification allowances but no actual salary. Many honorary teachers also grapple with persistent uncertainty about their job continuity.

This situation stems from several factors, including schools no longer able to afford their salaries, troubled regional finances, and disjointed policies between central and local governments. For example, in West Java, 3,823 honorary staff, predominantly teachers, had not received their salaries for March and April 2026. The core issue, in this case, reportedly lay with a policy from the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan-RB) that hindered the disbursement of regional budgets earmarked for honorary staff payments.

Separately, on Thursday, May 21, hundreds of early childhood education (PAUD) honorary teachers in Jayapura, Papua, converged on the Jayapura Regency House of Representatives (DPRK) office. They demanded clarity on their Regional Performance Allowances (TKD) and incentive funds, which the local government had failed to pay since January 2025 until May 2026. The local government cited empty regional coffers as the reason.

Across various regions, including East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and Makassar, teachers expressed profound disappointment and resignation, noting that policies concerning their profession frequently fall short of expectations.

“Personally, I am honestly very disappointed. But I wasn’t too surprised by the slip of the tongue because issues of teacher welfare are trivialized everywhere. It’s just promises,” stated Ofni Yunita Tameno, a PPPK (Government Employee with Work Agreement) teacher from Amabi Oefeto, Kupang, NTT.

What about the voices of other teachers facing similar struggles?

‘Long years of service, but left with such unclear status’

Maria Serliana Mau, a teacher at SDI Blawuk in Watuomok Village, Sikka, NTT, felt a fleeting moment of happiness. She perceived a sign of government attention to teacher welfare, including for non-ASN (non-civil servant) teachers like herself. “As a non-ASN teacher, I was certainly very happy because teachers were finally being noticed. But after that, I was disappointed. It turned out teachers remain marginalized. The increase was not for teachers; it was for judges,” Serli recounted.

This English teacher has dedicated a year to SDI Blawuk as an honorary teacher. Her basic salary of Rp600,000 is received every two or even three months. “It can even be four months, because the salary comes from Student Parent Participatory Funds,” Serli revealed. To supplement her income and support her daily life, she sells goods online and takes on side jobs, as her basic teacher’s salary is insufficient to cover her family’s living costs. “Monthly, my expenses can exceed my salary. It’s around one million [rupiah] a month,” Serli lamented. She often hears about government plans for teacher salary increases, but these promises have yet to materialize.

Serli now simply hopes for government attention to the welfare of Indonesian teachers. At a minimum, she wishes the District Education Office would provide recommendation letters for honorary teachers to be included in the Basic Education Data (Dapodik) system, ensuring clearer pathways. She also fears being laid off, as some ASN teachers in her school still lack sufficient teaching hours. Nevertheless, her dedication to teaching remains strong, driven by her goal to educate the nation’s children.

Also in NTT, Ofni Yunita Tameno, who teaches at SMP Negeri 5 Amabi Oefeto, Kupang, expressed her desire for timely salary payments. “It must be disbursed on time. And the allowances must truly reach us. No more arbitrary deductions,” she urged. Her salary now often arrives around the 20th of the month, whereas previously it was deposited by the 3rd. Many teachers, she explains, have loan installments with strict, non-negotiable deadlines.

“Some payments are even blocked. So we have to go to the bank, sort things out. Only then can we get our salary. Sometimes we can’t even withdraw that month’s salary because the bank has taken it all. So, we are sometimes left with zero,” Ofni explained. Having been a teacher for nine years, Ofni detailed the numerous deductions from her salary. She should receive Rp3.2 million, but her net take-home pay is only Rp1.5 million. “We have served for a long time but are left with such an unclear status. We also have to leave our children and husbands, or some leave their wives, and must arrive at school by seven in the morning. Our teaching location is far from our homes,” she shared. The promised training has also never materialized. “We PPPK teachers, after being placed, that’s it; we’ve never been called for anything else. Career advancement is never addressed. We want to know our future,” Ofni added, highlighting the stagnation in PPPK teacher career progression.

Also read:

• Honorary teachers walk 6km through forests and rivers – ‘Salary is not enough, but this is for the children’
• Largest education budget in history, but almost half for MBG is corrected – ‘Teachers feel like they are being helped’

Nurce Marfianti Taneo, who previously shared her income story with BBC Indonesia last January, has an updated account. Initially, having taught since September 2025, she only received a salary of Rp500,000 in January 2026. Now, she states she receives a monthly salary, albeit a meager Rp250,000. Despite monthly payments, Nurce admits this amount does not cover her daily needs, including commuting costs. Consequently, Prabowo’s speech on May 20 briefly rekindled her hopes.

“As teachers, this is a calling for the future of the nation’s children. But as teachers, we also have personal responsibilities. Our hope is simple: that the salary or effort we receive can ease our personal burdens,” she expressed.

Meanwhile, some teachers in Makassar City, South Sulawesi, were momentarily grateful upon hearing Prabowo’s remark about a salary increase. “Hearing that, of course, as teachers, we felt happy, but it turned out not to be true,” said Hery, a teacher at SMA Negeri 5 Makassar. “If I look at government statements, we already know that statements can sometimes change. Not to mention things that haven’t been determined or have no legal framework; even things that have been determined sometimes don’t materialize,” Hery added, reflecting a common sentiment of disillusionment regarding government teacher welfare promises.

Hery has been a teacher since 2003, holding honorary status until 2022. In 2023, he participated in a selection process and obtained PPPK status with a five-year contract. Initially, he aspired to gain ASN status to save his monthly salary for his five children’s education. He had taken tests five times in various regions, including Takalar, Soppeng, Luwu, and Makassar. However, his goal remains unrealized, as he still holds PPPK status. His dreams of saving money have also faded, as his basic salary is insufficient to support his wife, five children, and a cousin whose expenses he covers. “Based on needs, sometimes by mid-month, funds are already running low,” he noted.

He acknowledges that the certification allowance is quite helpful. “Certification is now received monthly. It used to be quarterly. From the certification allowance, according to rank, it’s Rp3.2 million, and his salary is Rp3.2 million. So, a total of Rp6.4 million supports seven people plus myself,” he explained.

In contrast, Arno, who has been a teacher since 2006, achieved ASN status in 2010. Regarding the rumored Rp2 million increase in salary or allowance for teachers, he stated that it is a right the government should indeed provide. However, he noted that the actual increase often falls short of Rp2 million.

How Prabowo’s promises to teachers align with reality

During his presidential campaign, one of Prabowo Subianto’s promises frequently highlighted was the increase in Indonesian teacher salaries and the establishment of a teacher minimum wage. This was a core component of his Asta Cita program. Later, at the peak of National Teacher’s Day celebrations in Jakarta in November 2024, Prabowo announced that teacher salary increases would take effect starting in 2025. The details included a one-time salary bonus for ASN teachers and a professional allowance of Rp2 million per month for non-ASN teachers.

Days later, in early December 2024, the Presidential Communication Office (PCO) at the Palace clarified Prabowo’s National Teacher’s Day statement. They explained that the actual increase in the professional allowance was only Rp500,000, but when combined with the previous allowance of Rp1.5 million, it would total Rp2 million. This clarification aligns with the experiences reported by teachers on the ground, according to Iman Zanatul Haeri from P2G and Fahriza Marta Tanjung from FSGI. Another provision mentioned was the Wage Subsidy Assistance (BSU) of approximately Rp300,000 per month.

“This kind of assistance treats teachers not as professional careers but like social welfare recipients. Yet, we are working professionals,” Iman criticized. Instead of such assistance, he hopes for the fulfillment of the promise to establish a minimum wage for teachers. Currently, teacher salaries and honoraria do not follow the regional minimum wage. Even for regionally covered honorary teachers, their pay is consistently below this minimum wage. Therefore, Iman believes that setting a minimum wage for teachers is desperately needed.

The arrangement for honorary teachers through the Ministerial Circular of Primary and Secondary Education No. 7 Year 2026 also requires clarification. Iman and Fahriza contend that while the intent of this regulation is good, its imprecise implementation can create injustice for 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 local governments to extend the assignments and salaries of non-ASN teachers registered in Dapodik before December 2024.

However, on the ground, the regulation of honorary teachers has caused unrest. Fahriza observed that the government appears confused about the solutions it intends to implement. “On one hand, the government states that these honorary teachers are still very much needed. But on the other hand, the government also seems to have no clear option on how to properly arrange them. If honorary positions were abolished and their employment status elevated, it would be better. But there’s no news yet on recruitment selection,” Fahriza stated. This highlights the ongoing systemic issues in addressing the teacher shortage Indonesia faces.

According to Workforce Analysis Data (ABK), Indonesia faces a shortage of approximately 374,000 public school teachers. The primary problem lies in uneven distribution, with an oversupply in urban areas and a critical lack of educators in underdeveloped, remote, and outermost (3T) regions. This disparity significantly impacts the quality and accessibility of education in crucial areas.

Also read:

• Where are teachers considered an honorable profession? What about Indonesia?
• The case of Hervina and the plight of honorary teachers: ‘Dilemma between low salary, dedication without certainty, and love for the job’

Historically, this shortage of teaching staff has been sustained by honorary teachers. Data indicates that there were approximately 237,196 honorary teachers in public schools recorded within the national education system at the beginning of 2026. This vital need, however, is not met with adequate funding. The 20% state budget allocation for education has not been appropriately implemented during the current administration.

Iman and Fahriza believe that the increased education budget allocation has been largely diverted to the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program. Consequently, the welfare of teachers is once again being sacrificed. “Furthermore, transfers to the regions are also shrinking. That’s why in many areas, there’s a phenomenon of honorary teachers not being paid for months. In Serang City, for example, they haven’t been paid for three months. Or there’s the phenomenon of PPPK contracts not being extended or directly terminated,” Iman elaborated.

He continued that central-to-regional transfers in the form of Regional Performance Allowances (TKD) were largely part of the education budget. “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 insecure.” The prioritization of programs like the Free Nutritious Meals program, while potentially beneficial, has unintended consequences for crucial sectors like education, underscoring the complex challenges faced by Indonesian educators.

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

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• MBG budget of Rp335 trillion sued to the 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 ‘not according to regulations’