Jakarta, MINA – The revision of the National Education System Law (UU Sisdiknas) will redefine how the 20% education budget from the state and regional budgets should be allocated to basic, secondary, and higher education, according to Hetifah Sjaifudian, Chair of House Commission X and a member of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI).
“This will be discussed in the revision of the National Education System Law. Commission X will follow up on this with a revision of the law, which is already more than two decades old. One of the things it will regulate is this budget,” Hetifah said in a statement received in Jakarta on Sunday.
She made the remarks during a discussion titled “Redefining the Education Budget to Realize the Constitutional Mandate Towards Golden Indonesia 2045” at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta on Friday.
Hetifah emphasized that if the budget for civil service education is taken from the 20% education budget and not separated, then basic, secondary, and higher education will not be maximized. “We also want to ensure that the distribution of this 20% education budget is transparent and in accordance with its purpose, effective, well-targeted, and also timely,” she said.
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She noted that the 20% education budget allocation is currently spread across dozens of ministries and institutions. “Now, which ministry is really in charge of education? It turns out it’s not just the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, not just the Ministry of Higher Education,” she said. She continued, “So there are dozens of ministries and institutions that are using these education funds, including for civil service education.”
MPR member Melchias Markus Mekeng also asserted that the 20% education budget allocation should not be for civil service education but for basic, secondary, and higher education. He stated that of the 2025 education budget of Rp724 trillion, Rp91.4 trillion is allocated for basic, secondary, and higher education for 64 million people, while Rp104 trillion is allocated for civil service education for 13,000 people. “Is this fair? 64 million people only get Rp91.4 trillion, (while) 13,000 people get a civil service budget of Rp104 trillion,” he said.
Meanwhile, Setara Institute Chairman Hendardi believes it is unfair that the budget allocated for basic, secondary, and higher education is so disproportionate to the allocation for civil service education. “Moreover, according to the law, civil service education funding should not be taken from the 20% education budget,” he said.
He gave the example of the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) and Polri (Indonesian National Police), which fund their civil service education independently and do not take from the 20% education budget but are financed by their respective institutions. “That’s what should be done. So, it shouldn’t be as if some people get a privilege, already getting schooling and then also a workplace. This is not fair,” he said.
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He even suggested that using the 20% education budget for civil service education could be considered a form of legal violation, and therefore, it would be reasonable for people to file a lawsuit regarding the distribution of the education budget. [Shibgho]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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