Indonesian Students Protest Education Costs Amid Budget Cuts

Hundreds of students rally in Jakarta demanding education reforms and protesting budget reallocations for government programs.

JAKARTA, KalderaNews.com – The spirit of Indonesian students to voice concerns over educational inequality remains unshaken. Despite light rain drenching the Senayan area, hundreds of students from various organizations stood their ground in front of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) on Monday (May 4, 2026).

Coinciding with National Education Day (Hardiknas), this protest marks the peak of student frustration over government policies deemed to be pricing out the working class from quality education.

Undeterred by the Downpour

According to field observations, protesters began gathering at the ministry gates at 3:00 PM WIB. Major student alliances, including HMI, IMM, GMNI, PMII, LMND, and FMN, joined forces with the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM SI).

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Even as the sky turned gray and rain began to fall during the speeches, the crowd grew larger with the arrival of student groups from UPN Veteran Jakarta, University of Indonesia (UI), Pancasila University, and National University (Unas).

“Once again, we will not back down; we will not surrender for the sake of Indonesian education!” shouted an orator from the University of Indonesia amidst the drizzle.

Budget Scrutiny: “Education Seized, Free Meals Full Speed Ahead”

A major point of contention in today’s rally is the reallocation of education funds to the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. Students argue that the mandatory 20% education budget in the APBN (State Budget) should focus on making college tuition affordable rather than being shifted to a program they view as poorly defined.

Several satirical posters highlighted their grievances:

“Education Seized, Free Meals Full Speed Ahead!”

“Maximize Free Meal Funds, Minimize Education Funds.”

“Can afford the Free Meal program, cannot afford to pay teachers.”

Bili Kurnia, a member of the National University Law Students Association, emphasized that this shift in budget focus threatens the development of science in Indonesia. “The goal of education is to develop knowledge, but instead, we are being force-fed the MBG program,” he stated from the command vehicle.

Demands for Total Education Reform

Under the hashtags #GelapGulitaPendidikanIndonesia (The Dark Age of Indonesian Education) and #ReformasiTotalPendidikan (Total Education Reform), the student alliance presented several crucial demands:

• Lower Educational Costs: Urging the government to reduce tuition fees (UKT) for higher education and basic education costs.

• Equal Access: Ensuring the right to education reaches remote areas, not just major cities.

• Policy Transparency: Demanding policies that side with the public interest rather than corporate or commodity interests.

Muzammil Ihsan, Central Coordinator of BEM SI, stated that Monday’s rally was a follow-up to a protest on Saturday (May 2) that received no official response from the government.

Traffic Diversions

Due to the large concentration of protesters in Senayan, police implemented road closures to maintain order. Traffic to and from Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Asia Afrika has been temporarily closed.

Motorists heading toward Jalan Asia Afrika are advised to detour via Jalan Pemuda. As of this report, students remain on-site, demanding an audience with the Minister or Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.

This protest serves as a stark reminder to the government that education is not a luxury, but a fundamental right that must be guaranteed by the state without exception.

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