Jakarta, August 20, 2024 – The government has allocated an education budget of IDR 71 trillion, equivalent to 0,29% of GDP or 2 percent of the state spending plan of IDR 3.613,1 trillion in the 2025 RAPBN for the free nutritious meal program.
The free nutritious meal program will soon be realized with the budget commitment in the 2025 RAPBN. President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) when delivering his presidential speech on the 2025 APBN Bill and Financial Note said that the education budget was allocated IDR 722,6 trillion for improving school children's nutrition, renovating schools, and development of superior schools. This education allocation increases by 24,3% from 2024 (Outlook).
This program is directed at improving children's physical quality, which can then boost academic achievement. The Minister of Education also emphasized the importance of this program in reducing numbers stunting among children.
Researcher at the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy PRAKARSA Bintang Aulia Lutfi said that the free nutritious meal program could also increase student attendance at school and reduce the school dropout rate which has long been a problem in various regions in Indonesia.
"The free nutritious meal program could increase student participation which could reduce the student dropout rate, which is currently still quite high at various levels of education. "BPS noted that the school dropout rate in 2023 in high school will reach 21%, middle school 6% and elementary school 0,67%," said Bintang.
However, it is important to ensure that this program really targets areas with high needs, especially in remote and underprivileged areas.
"There is still inequality between schools in urban and rural areas where accessibility greatly affects the quality of schools such as infrastructure, teacher competency, suitability and completeness of school facilities," added Bintang.
The distribution and accuracy of data held by the government is still a problem, where there are still many educational assistance programs that are not on target. Of course, this is a concern whether the implementation of this free nutritious meal program can really be implemented fairly and evenly or not.
It is hoped that the 2% allocation allocated for the free nutritious meal program will not reduce the government's commitment to overcoming education problems which are still homework to this day.
“The reduction in the budget for the free nutritious meal (MBG) program from around 450 trillion to 71 trillion shows significant efficiency efforts. Even though the budget currently allocated is smaller, the first year of the MBG program can serve as an initial simulation for the government in managing the education budget more effectively. "This is an opportunity for the government to review proportional budgeting strategies, especially for the MBG program which requires large funding allocations, without sacrificing the budget for other education programs," said Bintang.
The 2025 RAPBN must be a tool to realize the vision and mission of national development. By strengthening transparency, accountability and a clear focus on community needs, it is hoped that this budget can have a significant positive impact on all levels of society.
"The government needs to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of the budget for this program, so that the program's targets and achievements can be openly known to the public," concluded Bintang.