Anies: IKN Development Budget Is Better To Allocate To Education

Presidential Candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan after attending an idea test with students at Prof. Hazairin University in Bengkulu on Wednesday (06/12/2023). ANTARA/Hendri Sukma Indrawan

BENGKULU - Presidential candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan stated that the budget for IKN development is better allocated to the education sector in Indonesia.

This was conveyed when Anies attended an idea test with students at the University of Prof. Hazairin in Bengkulu, Wednesday, December 6.

"Now we have money, but our money is limited. Now with limited money for our children, we can go to school until it's finished, to appoint teachers who have only been honorary," he said, when answering a question from one of the students reported by ANTARA.

Anies said Indonesia should build human quality, especially through the field of education. What's more, only 7 percent of children in Indonesia reach college.

"I see the problem of education in Indonesia is like asking for the number of seats. Elementary school is complete, whoever is an Indonesian child is in enough seats, if there are 5.6 million children born, then first grade elementary school is enough but when they graduate from elementary school, the number of junior high school students will fall," explained Anies.

According to Anies, junior high school in the regions does not accommodate up to 60 percent of elementary school graduates. Then high school is even smaller in the number of seats, as well as the number of tertiary colleges.

"That means we have to add to our school days far from evenly distributed," he said.

Anies wants this basic state matter to be resolved first before starting to build IKN.

"But has our basic business been resolved today and if there is a budget allocation of Rp400 trillion there (IKN), imagine if Rp400 trillion was for honorary teachers, to build schools, for tuition fees, it could be cheaper because subsidies are allocated," he said.