Economic Council Finds MBG Menu Quality Affects Student Learning Motivation

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Member of the National Economic Council (DEN) Firman Hidayat revealed the results of the DEN study on the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (20/10/2026).

The study shows that the quality of the MBG menu influences the learning motivation of the beneficiary students.

This study is a collaboration between DEN and the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and other institutions.

"It turns out that the learning motivation of MBG beneficiaries increases, but there’s a condition: the quality of the menu must be good," said Firman after meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the palace.

The higher the quality of the MBG menu, the more students' enthusiasm for learning increases. Conversely, the lower the quality, the less motivation they demonstrate.

"When the menu quality is very good, 95 percent of MBG beneficiaries report higher learning motivation. However, when the menu quality is poor, the number drops significantly," he stated.

In addition, the MBG also affects student attendance in schools.

"So despite all the shortcomings of the MBG program, we find the results quite interesting. For instance, when we look at student attendance, MBG beneficiaries are rarely absent compared to non-beneficiaries," he said.

Furthermore, the findings are particularly notable among beneficiaries from lower economic backgrounds.

"The gap is quite significant, especially in the lowest income decile. Non-beneficiaries tend to be absent frequently, whereas MBG beneficiaries relatively do not miss school," he revealed.

DEN Recommendations

During this meeting, DEN recommended that Prabowo continues to improve the quality of the MBG menu.

"In essence, one of our recommendations to the President that we conveyed is to pay attention to the quality of the MBG menu, as it correlates with hunger and children's motivation to learn in school," he stated.

Moreover, Firman suggested prioritizing MBG in underdeveloped areas.

According to the DEN study from September 2026, the distribution of MBG beneficiaries is still more prevalent in urban areas compared to rural ones.

"And there are still more wealthy students receiving MBG than poor students," he added.

"Thus, there needs to be a better priority, especially for underdeveloped regions, rural areas, and poor communities," Firman concluded.