Education Day: BEM SI Stages 'Darkness of Education' Rally

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Student Executive Board of Indonesia (BEM SI) is set to hold a demonstration to commemorate National Education Day (Hardiknas) today, May 2, 2026. The protest will take place at the Arjuna Wijaya Horse Statue area in Central Jakarta.

In a post on the @bem_si Instagram account, the demonstration carries the hashtag #GelapGulitaPendidikanIndonesia (Darkness of Indonesian Education). BEM SI highlights persistent disparities in education and policies that they claim are moving away from the interests of the people.

"Hardiknas is not just a ceremony. This is a moment of resistance, a moment to voice the truth," the @bem_si caption read, as seen by Tempo on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

BEM SI has issued nine demands to the government:

1. Reform of education budget management, the separation of public education funds from the bureaucracy, and an end to the excessive commercialization of education;

2. Urging central and regional governments to prioritize education as a substantive priority rather than a formal budget formality;

3. Demanding equal access to quality education in remote, underdeveloped, and vulnerable areas;

4. Urging for the improvement of teacher welfare, a fair and transparent resolution of honorary teacher status, equal distribution of teachers, and reform of the recruitment system;

5. Demanding the rehabilitation of damaged schools and the provision of adequate educational facilities nationwide;

6. Urging for consistent, data-driven, and long-term oriented education policies;

7. Promoting genuine, contextual character education rooted in national values and local wisdom;

8. Demanding transparency and strict oversight of all education budget utilization;

9. And urging a revision of the National Education System (Sisdiknas) Law through discussions involving civil society participation.

Read: Prabowo Says He Will Make Major Investments in Education

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BEM SI Marks National Education Day with Nine Demands

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