TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Representatives of the Alliance of the All Indonesian Student Executive Board (BEM SI Kerakyatan) issued a "yellow card" to Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek) Fauzan during their audience in front of the ministry office on Monday afternoon, May 4, 2026.
According to the students, the yellow card symbolizes the warning given to the two education ministries for their poor performance during President Prabowo Subianto's administration. They are the Ministry of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
"We, from BEM Se-Kerakyatan Indonesia, issued a yellow card as a warning to Kemendiktisaintek and Kemendikdasmen whose programs never touch the root of the education problems," said a student from the University of Indonesia while showing the yellow card to Fauzan.
Hundreds of other demonstrators cheered as they witnessed the moment. The student representatives then said that the Education Ministry is at fault because there are no concrete results from its programs.
He also criticized the ministry's approach to university student presidents, deeming it to lack substance. "Kemendiktisaintek only carries out ceremonial tasks, gathering all presma to hold FGDs in luxury hotels. That's not good, sir!" said this male student.
The audience process between the students and Fauzan lasted about 40 minutes and was marred by turmoil. Their dialogue did not stop even amidst heavy rain in the FX Sudirman shopping center area, which was the focal point of the action.
Other student representatives from several universities in Jakarta also took turns to criticize education policies. The students protested because the education budget accounts for 20 percent of the state budget, some of which is allocated for free nutritious meal projects. They demanded that the free meal project be stopped.
Additionally, they complained about the plan to close several study programs deemed irrelevant to the needs of the job market. "The problem is not the study programs; the problem lies with the government for not being able to adjust to job market needs," said the Chair of BEM UI Yatalathof Ma'shum Imawan.
Deputy Minister Fauzan then responded to several issues highlighted by the students. He said there is no closure of study programs as previously stated by Kemendiktisaintek.
"There are no study program closures. What we have is reorganization. This means that reorganization does not involve closure. Reorganization strengthens study programs. And this is not just a pedagogical issue, but also other study programs," he said.
The students were not immediately satisfied with Fauzan's response. He was labeled a liar by some of the students.
Read: BEM UI Opposes Free Nutritious Meal Kitchen Project on Campus
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