Viral Honorary Teacher Paid Rp 414 Thousand, P2G Criticizes MBG Budget

BANDA ACEH – The story of Ijah, an honorary teacher who quit teaching after 40 years with a final salary of Rp 414 thousand, has gone viral and sparked scrutiny of education budget spending. The Education and Teachers Association (P2G) sees the low teacher welfare as linked to budget allocation for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program. P2G National Coordinator Satriwan Salim said Ijah's case is not an isolated one. Many honorary teachers, non-civil servants, and part-time PPPK still earn below Rp 1 million a month. P2G has filed a judicial review of Article 22 of the 2026 State Budget Law with the Constitutional Court, arguing that education funds should not be used for MBG. P2G highlighted the 2026 education budget of Rp 769 trillion, with nearly Rp 268 trillion, or almost 30 percent, going to MBG. They see this as making teacher welfare a non-priority, while some part-time PPPK teachers earn as little as Rp 200-300 thousand or even Rp 139 thousand a month. P2G hopes the Constitutional Court will grant their judicial review request. The ruling is scheduled for July. https://www.harianaceh.co.id/2026/06/26/viral-guru-honorer-digaji-rp-414-ribu-p2g-singgung-mbg-gunakan-anggaran-pendidikan/