Indonesia’s Constitutional Court has ruled that funding for President Prabowo Subianto’s free school meals program must be removed from the national education budget, directing that the allocated funds be preserved for essential educational expenses instead. The court’s decision addresses concerns over the 2026 state budget, which earmarked approximately 2,236 trillion rupiah (around $17.6 billion) for the Free Nutritious Meals program—nearly 30 percent of the total 7,691 trillion rupiah education budget.

The ruling follows petitions submitted by students and educators challenging the constitutionality of the 2026 budget law. Petitioners argued that the inclusion of the meals program within the education budget effectively diluted the mandated minimum allocation of 20 percent of the state budget to education. They maintained that this reallocation resulted in reduced funding for critical areas such as teacher salaries, school infrastructure, the conversion of contract teachers to civil servant status, Indonesia Smart Card scholarships, and allowances for educators.

In its judgment, the court clarified that the constitutional requirement to allocate at least 20 percent of the national budget to education is specifically meant to finance foundational components. These include supporting students, teachers, and educational personnel; funding school facilities and infrastructure; maintaining curriculum standards; and conducting evaluations and educational development. The court distinguished the free meal program as outside these core obligations, indicating that it should not be funded through the education budget.

Constitutional Justice Enny Nurbaningsih emphasized the importance of reserving education funds strictly for these essential categories, stating that financing free lunch meals does not fall under the intended scope of the mandated education budget.

The court ordered the government to remove the free school meals program from the education finance allocation starting with the 2028 fiscal year. Preparations for the 2027 budget were already in progress at the time of the ruling, with the government expected to present the new budget proposal in August.

Responding to the decision, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the government would carefully review the court’s directive and engage with parliament to determine necessary adjustments.

Since its launch in January 2025, the free school meals initiative has encountered challenges, including repeated reductions in its funding allocation. The overseeing agency has also experienced instability, marked by two leadership turnovers within the past two months following a corruption scandal involving the program’s inaugural head.