The Golkar Party faction of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) emphasized that the education budget allocated at 20 percent of the state revenue and expenditure budget (APBN) and regional budgets (APBD) must be truly used for educational purposes.
"The budget is indeed 20 percent, but not all of it goes to education. We will continue to advocate for that 20 percent to be allocated purely to education," said Melchias Markus Mekeng, chairman of the Golkar Party faction in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), in South Tangerang, Banten, on Monday.
Mekeng made this statement in response to the issue of the welfare of honorary teachers or non-state civil servants (ASN).
According to him, the problem of teacher welfare is rooted in the budget. In this case, he reminded us of the mandate of Article 31 paragraph (4) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.
This article stipulates that the state prioritizes the education budget of at least 20 percent of the APBN and APBD to meet the needs of implementing national education.
However, Mekeng stated that in its current implementation, the education budget has not been fully used purely for educational functions.
"We agree with other (government) programs, that's fine, but don't take them from the education budget, so that the problems raised by honorary teachers can be resolved. Facilities and damaged schools can be improved if the budget is there," he said.
