Indonesia plans free public education from kindergarten

Main points

• Free schooling would cover about 164,000 public schools
• Kindergarten is included in the expansion
• Free public university tuition is still being designed

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has ordered his government to accelerate plans for free education across the country's public school system, from kindergarten through senior high school, while officials work out whether and how tuition can also be removed at state universities.

The plan would cover about 164,000 public schools nationwide, including early childhood and kindergarten programmes, primary schools, junior high schools and senior high or vocational schools, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said after a meeting led by Prabowo on September 23.

Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti said Prabowo had specifically included kindergarten in the push, extending the government's free-education commitment beyond primary and secondary schooling. The policy would also apply to state-run Islamic schools under the Religious Affairs Ministry.

University tuition is not free yet

The government's ambitions extend to higher education, but that part of the plan is less settled.

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Officials are studying how to eliminate tuition at public universities, including Indonesia's single tuition fee, known as UKT, and admission fees. The government said it expected to develop the proposal further within two to four weeks.

Higher Education Minister Brian Yuliarto said officials were calculating how much the programme would cost and considering whether it could be introduced at once or in stages during 2027, 2028 and 2029. The government is also assessing how universities could remain financially sustainable if student fees are removed.

That distinction is important: Indonesia has not yet approved blanket free tuition at public universities. The government is assessing the cost, funding model and implementation timetable.

Government looks to existing education budget

The expansion is expected to rely on Indonesia's existing education allocation rather than a separate new budget.

Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara said the 2027 draft state budget allocates roughly Rp820.9 trillion ($46 billion) to education, in line with the constitutional requirement to devote 20% of state spending to the sector. Officials are reviewing how that money is distributed across central and regional governments and state institutions.

Prabowo has since asked officials to prepare a broader plan for the roughly Rp824 trillion education budget, examining school participation, educational outcomes and existing government programmes to determine how the money can be used more effectively.

The proposal could significantly broaden state-funded education in the world's fourth-most-populous country. But while the government has clearly committed to expanding free public schooling from kindergarten through secondary education, the university component remains a plan under development rather than a finalised policy.