Indonesian Court Bans Use of Education Funding for Free School Meals
The court said the multibillion-dollar program needs its own allocation after petitions argued education funds should not cover meals for 83 million recipients.
- On Thursday, Indonesia's Constitutional Court ruled the government cannot finance its Free Nutritious Meals program using the education budget, ordering funding separation by the 2028 state budget at the latest.
- The ruling followed petitions against the 2026 State Budget Law, which classified the MBG program as an 'educational provision,' allowing the government to allocate nearly one-third of the $61.5 billion education budget to it.
- Educators filing petitions cited data showing 74 per cent of contract teachers earn less than $170 monthly, arguing the MBG allocation diverted resources from teacher salaries and operational education spending.
- Petitioner Rega Felix called the verdict a 'victory,' though Zanatul Haeri of the association described it as 'a grey area ruling,' warning the government could adjust the program while keeping it operational.
- While the court mandated separation by 2028, judges recommended the split occur as early as 2027, with the association planning to hand over the ruling to the National Nutrition Agency for implementation.
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The government separates the MBG budget from the education sector in preparing the budget.
Indonesia court bars use of education budget to fund free meals starting from 2028 - The Tribune
Indonesia’s top constitutional court ruled on Thursday that the government cannot continue to finance its multibillion-dollar free meals programme with funds sourced from the education budget, delivering another blow to President Prabowo Subianto’s main campaign promise. The free meals programme was launched in 2025 with the aim of feeding 83 million school children and expectant […]
The Constitutional Court ruled that the MBG budget may not use the education fund allocation in the APBN starting in 2028.
Indonesian court orders free meals financing removed from education budget
JAKARTA: The Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday (July 30) that the government should no longer source funding for President Prabowo Subianto's costly free nutritious meal programme from the education budget.
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