English to Become Mandatory Subject for Indonesian Third Graders in 2027

Indonesia will require English to be taught in all schools starting from the third grade of elementary school, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti said.

Mu’ti made the announcement during the Indonesian National Education Convention in Nusa Dua, Badung Regency, Bali, on Friday, October 2, 2026.

“English will become a required subject starting in the 2027/2028 academic year, beginning in the third grade of elementary school,” Mu’ti said, as reported by Antara on Sunday, October 4, 2026.

The government is currently making final preparations for the policy, with a particular focus on ensuring that there are enough teachers qualified to teach English to elementary school students.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has begun by providing training for classroom teachers to equip them with the basic skills needed to teach English.

However, Mu’ti said the government does not currently plan to recruit special English teachers, except if they are needed as part of the recruitment of prospective civil servants (CPNS).

Mu’ti explained that third grade was chosen as the starting point to help children become more confident in expressing themselves and to encourage them to learn in a supportive and enjoyable environment without being afraid of making mistakes.

He said the goal was for children to learn English in a happy and comfortable way, even when they make mistakes.

In addition to English, Mu’ti said the government is also encouraging students to learn other foreign languages, in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s repeated calls for Indonesian children to learn foreign languages from an early age.

Prabowo previously emphasized the importance of early foreign-language education during the Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD) on August 14, 2026.

Prabowo suggested that Indonesian students begin learning foreign languages as early as the first grade of elementary school.

“We will begin teaching foreign languages to our children starting in elementary school. In first grade, children should begin learning foreign languages. The most important languages to start with are English, Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and French,” Prabowo said.

Source : https://en.tempo.co/read/2120879/indonesia-mandatory-english-lessons-for-third-graders-starting-2027