Jakarta, Aug. 28 -- Indonesia's Education Ministry has proposed raising monthly allowances for contract teachers and expanding student aid to kindergartens as part of a push to improve education funding in 2026.

Basic and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti said the ministry is seeking to increase the monthly stipend for contract teachers from Rp300,000 to Rp500,000 (USD19 to USD32), starting next year.

"We've allocated funds for contract teachers, and we've proposed raising the allowance to Rp500,000 per teacher per month," he told reporters at the presidential palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The proposal has been discussed with the House of Representatives' Commission X, which oversees education policy. Mu'ti said the co...