<![CDATA[Starting in the 2026/2027 academic year, the Indonesian Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has made English a compulsory subject in all elementary schools and requires each school to have at least one qualified English teacher. This policy highlights the urgent challenge of projected national shortage of around 90,000 English teachers. In response, the Ministry introduced competency development program for non-English major teachers. This preliminary study assesses the baseline competencies of 140 elementary teachers in the Riau Islands Province without formal English education backgrounds. Using qualitative descriptive approach, documentary analysis of pretest data from the Ministry’s Learning Management System was used to categorize competency levels. The findings show that teachers’ English proficiency was comparatively stronger than their pedagogical knowledge and Teaching English to Young Learners in Deep Learning (TEYL-DL) skills, with large proportion still at Low to Very Low levels. These results point to a readiness gap that could undermine equitable policy implementation. The study emphasizes the need for targeted, scalable professional development that uses blended and technology-mediated approaches, offers contextual support for rural schools, and involves all stakeholders to ensure sustainable upskilling of non-graduate English teachers.]]>
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