Petitioner of case on the National Education System Law and the 2026 State Budget Law conveying the revisions to the petition, Tuesday (2/24/2026). Photo by MKRI/Ilham W. M.

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JAKARTA (MKRI) — The Constitutional Court held the second hearing for the judicial review of Law No. 20 of 2003 on the National Education System (Sisdiknas) and Law No. 17 of 2025 on the 2026 State Budget on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The session was to examine the revisions to Petition No. 52/PUU-XXIV/2026, filed by Rega Felix, a lecturer, who argues that Article 49 paragraph (1) of the Sisdiknas Law and its elucidation do not include guarantee of lecturers’ welfare as a primary component of the education expenditure.

At the hearing, the Petitioner presented the revisions to his elaboration of legal standing by emphasizing his violated constitutional rights. “Under the Teacher-Lecturer Law, [I] have rights as a lecturer, for whom the Government is obligated to allocate state budget. [I] have detailed the articles of the Law,” he explained.

He also made connections to education budgets, especially for higher education such as research funding, that have been cut. “These cuts will have direct impacts on [my] main activities,” he stressed.

Also read: Once Again, Constitutionality of Free Nutritious Meal Program Challenged

At the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the Petitioner questioned the constitutionality of Article 49 paragraph (1) of the National Education System Law and its elucidation, arguing that the provisions do not include guarantee of lecturers’ welfare as a primary component of the education expenditure. He does not oppose the free nutritious meal program (MBG). However, he believes it to be a supporting educational program, while the fulfillment of students’ nutritional needs may be pursued through alternative policy measures that need not be positioned as a primary component of education expenditure. He stressed that the minimum 20 percent education budget allocation in the state budget should be focused on the primary needs of education, including improving lecturers’ welfare and strengthening research funding.

In addition, in his petition, the Petitioner also challenges Article 22 paragraph (3) of the 2026 State Budget Law, which includes the free nutritious meal program as part of the operational components of education. He argued that although the education budget in 2026 has been allocated at approximately 20 percent of the 2026 total state budget, classifying the program as part of educational operational costs risks reducing allocations for essential educational needs, such as educators’ welfare, educational infrastructure, and funding for research and innovation.

Explore case No. 52/PUU-XXIV/2026 (in Indonesian).

Author       : Utami Argawati
Editor        : N. Rosi
PR            : Raisa Ayuditha M.
Translator  : Yuniar Widiastuti (NL)

Disclaimer: The original version of the news is in Indonesian. In case of any differences between the English and the Indonesian versions, the Indonesian version will prevail.

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