Indonesia Aims to Realize Free Education Bid by 2028

President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to provide free public education in Indonesia by 2028, according to Said Abdullah, chair of the House of Representatives (DPR) Budget Agency. The government has set aside Rp5 trillion for a pilot project covering primary and junior high schools. Said stated that achieving free education nationwide, from primary school to university, would require approximately Rp300 trillion.

Preliminary calculations indicate that funding for primary, junior high, and senior high schools would account for around Rp210 trillion, while university education would require Rp92 trillion, totaling between Rp300-302 trillion. The pilot project will initially prioritize primary and secondary schools in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions before gradually expanding to include universities.

Said emphasized the importance of a comprehensive study to determine the exact budget per student, including the condition of public schools under the Ministry of Religious Affairs. President Prabowo Subianto announced his free education initiative during the 28th anniversary of the National Mandate Party (PAN) on September 24, 2026.

He suggested that the funds for free education could be sourced from embezzled funds belonging to corrupt individuals, which he claimed should be returned to benefit the community.