Teachers want an equal opportunity to achieve human well-being, access to relevant technology and practical training and to have simple curricula that can accommodate the abilities and talents of the students.
By
ESTER LINCE NAPITULULU
·4 minutes read
KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO
Teacher Fatimah receives a gift from a fourth grader on National Teacher's Day 2021 at SDN Satria Mekar 02, Tambun Utara District, Bekasi Regency, West Java, Thursday (25/11/2021).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Indonesian teachers have demanded the freedom to innovate without being hampered by uniformity. Teachers want an equal opportunity to achieve human well-being, access to relevant technology and practical training and to have simple curricula that can accommodate the abilities and talents of the students, alongside school leaders who stand for students, not bureaucracy.
The messages were conveyed by the Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Mendikbudristek) Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim in his speech during the commemoration of 2021’s National Teacher's Day, which was held virtually in Jakarta on Thursday (25/11/2021). The ceremony, held under strict health protocol, was attended by 345 participants wearing traditional clothes. The 2021 Teachers’ Day was commemorated under the theme “Working with Heart to Restore Education".
The commemoration of this year’s Teachers’ Day was also broadcast live on the Mendikbudristek’s Youtube channel. As many as 3,000 teachers, principals, supervisors and education staff from different regions in Indonesia also participated in the virtual ceremony via Zoom wearing the traditional clothes from their respective regions.
Nadiem, who wore the traditional Ulos Mandailing dress of North Sumatra, said the "Merdeka Belajar" (Freedom to Learn) program was initiated to provide teachers with flexibility in teaching. “Merdeka Belajar”, initiated by the Mendikbudristek, has now turned into a movement.
“This movement is getting stronger because of the tests we face together," said Nadiem.
He said the the simplification of the curriculum as one of the policies made under the “Merdeka Belajar” movement had succeeded in giving birth to thousands of learning innovations. Last year was full of challenges, which motivated many teachers to be more innovative. However, this was an immeasurable phenomenon.
The Merdeka Belajar movement lives in the minds of every teacher who has the courage to step toward one goal, to educate the nation.
Nadiem recounted work visits he made staying at teachers’ houses in Central Lombok, Yogyakarta and at a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in East Java. There, he did not hear the words of despair from the teachers.
"I heard about the breakthroughs they wanted to make in their schools, and that made me realize that this pandemic did not kill the enthusiasm of the teachers, but instead lighted the torch of change," said Nadiem.
Kompas/Totok Wijayanto
Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim
Teacher wage standards
Separately, the Education and Teacher Association (P2G) has urged the government to issue a presidential regulation (Perpres) regarding the national minimum wage standard for non-state civil servant (ASN) teachers. “The Presidential regulation is needed to protect and ensure the welfare of non-ASN teachers, namely nonpermanent teachers, including those in private schools or madrasah (Islamic schools). Although the government has recruited teachers with work agreements (PPPK), which have the same status as the ASN, this has not accommodated all nonpermanent teachers whose number reaches 1.5 million people. The selection for the recruitment of the PPPK teachers can only accommodate 173,000 nonpermanent teachers from about 506,000 positions being opened nationally,” said Satriwan Salim, the P2G national coordinator.
The wages of nonpermanent teachers in state schools and teachers in private schools and madrasah are very low, far below the regional minimum wage (UMP/UMK). Based on reports from the P2G network in the regions, the UMK for workers in Karawang Regency, West Java, is Rp 4.7 million (US$ 328.73) per month, far higher than the average wage of the nonpermanent teachers at state elementary schools which is only about Rp 1.2 million per month. The UMP/UMK in West Sumatra is Rp 2.4 million per month, while the average wage of nonpermanent teachers at state elementary schools in the regencies of Lima Puluh Kota and Tanah Datar in the province ranges only between Rp 500,000 and Rp 800,000 per month.
Satriwan said the government could establish a minimum wage standard for workers, but not for teachers. "If the wages of nonpermanent teachers are left unchecked, the amount can be determined by the school principal and the regional government at their will and it is a clear violation of Law Number 14/2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers," said Satriwan.
The regulation on living wages for teachers is important for the respect of the profession so that the teaching profession has value and dignity like other professions. It also encourages the nation's children who excel to be interested in becoming teachers.
“In reality, the teaching profession is not yet respected; it is not yet dignified, because the wages are not humane. The wages of nonpermanent teachers so far have violated the Law on Teachers and Lecturers, as well as UNESCO and ILO rules. The nonpermanent teachers lack appreciation and protection from the state. So, that is the reason for the need to issue a Presidential regulation,” said Satriwan.
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
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