Gerindra Legislator Soroti MBG and Education Relations: Quiet Road to Build Indonesian Human

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Member of the House of Representatives from the Gerindra Faction, Azis Subekti, highlighted the relationship between the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, education, and the government's silent steps in building Indonesian human resources.

Where recently, the flagship program of the government of President Prabowo Subianto as an effort to educate the nation's children has been disputed because its budget takes education funds.

In every phase of its history, according to Azis, this nation has always been tested by one fundamental question, namely whether all parties understand what is being built, or are merely caught up in the noise of budget debates that separate things that should never be separated.

"Later, the Free Nutritional Meal (MBG) Program was conflicted with the education budget. Figures were thrown into the public space, as if policies had to be chosen like a single menu: if we feed the children, then we reduce the rights of teachers; if we increase the welfare of teachers, then we delay the fulfillment of student nutrition. This kind of logic is not only shallow, it is dangerous. It creates a false dichotomy that misleads the public's thinking direction," said Azis Subekti in his statement, Monday, February 16.

"I want to say this clearly: comparing the MBG budget with the salary of teachers is a categorical error. It's like comparing the rights of children and the rights of parents. Both stand in the same ethical ecosystem. Complaining about both means destroying the foundation of the house we are building together," he continued.

The member of Commission II of the DPR explained that education has long been a constitutional mandate, with a minimum allocation of 20 percent of the state budget managed through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and various related institutions.

The figure, said Azis, is not just a fiscal statistic but a political statement that the future of the nation cannot be negotiated.

"However, we must also be honest in reading the budget structure. Most of it is absorbed for employee spending, especially teachers' salaries and allowances. This is not something wrong, teachers are the heart of education. Without proper welfare, it is difficult to expect continued dedication. But welfare alone is not enough. The distribution of teachers is still unbalanced. Training is not yet fully based on best practices. Infrastructure in many 3T areas still leaves classrooms damaged, sanitation is minimal, and internet access is limited," he explained.

On the other hand, said Azis, the issue of children's nutrition remains a fact that we cannot ignore. The agenda to improve the quality of health for the younger generation, which has also been a concern of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, confirms that stunting and anemia are not just medical issues but are national productivity issues.

"A child who is malnourished not only grows shorter; he risks losing some of his cognitive potential. This is where MBG finds its moral and rational foundation," he said.

According to Azis, the body and mind are not two entities that can be separated in the design of public policy. Even the best teacher, will face limits if his students come to class with energy drained by hunger.

"On the other hand, children who are full but not guided by competent teachers will also lose their way. So contradicting MBG and education is not a critical attitude; it actually shows a failure to understand the human development ecosystem," he explained.

The Gerindra legislator from the Central Java District explained that since 1946, the United States has run the National School Lunch Program as part of its social policy architecture. The program is not positioned as a burden on education, but as a support for learning success and even the readiness of the future workforce.

In Japan, continued Azis, the practice of school meals (kyūshoku) is even part of character education. Students do not only receive food; they learn responsibility, discipline, and togetherness through the process.

The country is said by Azis to understand that building superior human resources has never been done sectorally. It requires an integration of policies that are aware of the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and values.

"Indonesia is not lacking examples. What we need is the courage to unite policies in one vision of human development that is whole," he said.

"If we really want to produce superior human resources that are adaptive, productive, and globally competitive, then there are three paths that must be taken simultaneously," added Azis.

First, said Azis, the reformulation of education-based budget based on learning outcomes. The allocation is not enough to stop at administrative inputs, but must be linked to the improvement of literacy, numeracy, and 21st century competencies.

Second, strengthening the profession of teachers through meritocratic selection, continuous training, fair evaluation, and equitable distribution even to remote areas.

Third, the implementation of MBG is accountable, transparent, and based on measurable nutritional standards, while empowering the local economy to create a multiplier effect.

"The three are not alternative options. It is an integrative package," he added.

Azis assessed that the debate on the budget was too narrow, which obscured the long-term horizon.

He emphasized that nutritional investment increases learning concentration and future health, investment in teachers and infrastructure strengthens the quality of learning. The two work in the same time dimension to build the human capacity of Indonesia.

"I believe that building people is a quiet job. It doesn't always produce instant applause. It requires consistency, clean governance, and collective awareness that human capital quality does not come from mutually negating policies," said Azis.

Azis emphasized that the government was not choosing between feeding children or honoring teachers, but was determining whether this republic was mature enough to understand that both were the same breath.

"And if we dare to take the lonely path, integrate MBG, education, and institutional reform simultaneously, then what we build is not just a program. We are building generations," said Azis.

"It's not just a generation that is full. It's not just a generation that is smart. But a generation that is whole, healthy, sharp in mind, and strong in character," he concluded.