1,653 Private Schools Removed from MBG Program

National Nutrition Agency Removes Thousands of Schools from MBG

The Indonesian government, through the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), has recently taken a decisive step by updating the target recipients for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. In its latest official announcement, the BGN confirmed the removal of 1,653 educational institutions from the beneficiary list of this flagship government initiative. This policy shift has sparked various reactions across the country, especially since the MBG program was initially expected to reach all students nationwide. However, this action was taken following a comprehensive evaluation to ensure accurate targeting and maximum efficiency of the state budget.

According to the released data, the vast majority of the 1,653 excluded schools are international standard private schools or elite educational institutions. These schools typically serve students from middle to upper-class socio-economic backgrounds. Observers and policymakers consider this adjustment highly rational, considering that the primary objective of the Free Nutritious Meal program is to combat malnutrition, prevent stunting, and address nutritional inequality. These issues predominantly affect children from underprivileged families, particularly those attending public elementary schools and Islamic schools in rural and suburban areas.

Sudaryono Explains the Strategy Behind the Cuts

Addressing the recent changes, government figure and BGN representative Sudaryono explained the crucial reasons behind this significant decision. He emphasized that the government must be extremely meticulous and prudent in managing the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN). Free food subsidies must be channeled strictly to those who need them the most. Providing free school lunches to students in elite international private schools—where monthly tuition fees can reach millions of rupiah—is deemed poorly targeted and contradicts the fundamental principles of social justice.

Furthermore, Sudaryono clarified that the funds saved from excluding these 1,653 elite schools will not be deducted from the total MBG budget. Instead, these financial resources will be reallocated to expand the program's reach to frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) regions. This strategic reallocation is expected to have a much more profound and lasting impact on improving the nutritional intake and cognitive development of the nation's children who have historically been underserved and marginalized.

A New Focus for the Free Nutritious Meal Program

Moving forward, the Free Nutritious Meal program will focus entirely on public schools, community-based educational institutions, and private schools that genuinely accommodate students from low-income backgrounds. The government is also in the process of developing a stricter, integrated data verification and validation system to minimize targeting errors in the future. This comprehensive system involves close collaboration between local governments, the ministry of education, and social services departments across various regencies and cities throughout Indonesia.

The BGN's evaluation measures have earned appreciation from numerous public policy analysts. They view the government's willingness to correct its targeting data as a commendable display of transparency and accountability. Meanwhile, the affected international private schools have not raised significant objections, acknowledging that this state-funded initiative is far more critical for students in the public education sector. It is highly hoped that with this refined focus, the Free Nutritious Meal program will run sustainably and successfully, ultimately paving the way for a golden generation of Indonesian youth free from the burdens of malnutrition.