High Dedication to Teaching Religion Despite Low Pay

KOMPAS/DIONISIUS REYNALDO TRIWIBOWO

Teachers of the State 6 Palu Elementary School are giving religious lessons to their students, Tuesday (16/10/2018).

The presence of religion teachers is vital to building the character of students. However, the fate of most religion teachers still remains uncertain. Despite all the limitations and minimal rewards, they are still willing to devote themselves to teaching religion.

Yoseph (46), for example, has been teaching Christianity for 14 years to students in Cirebon, West Java. Like a firefighter, he does the job because it is desperately needed. He has even volunteered to teach Christian students who do not have access to religious education at their school.

Together with a number of Christianity religion teachers, he has taught hundreds of students in Cirebon and the surrounding area. This year alone, they have taught Christianity to 150 students at junior high schools and 150 students at senior high and vocational schools that cannot provide Christianity teachers.

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According to Yoseph, who is also the coordinator of Christianity Religion Teachers at Cirebon Senior High Schools, Christianity classes fall under the auspices of the local branch of the Council of Churches in Indonesia (PGI). Students study Christianity for one hour each week at BPK Penabur Cireon Christian Elementary School.

These classes are still self-financed, with their costs covered by donations from the students, schools, and churches, and do not use the state budget.

Under such conditions, it is difficult for teachers to monitor their students. Sometimes the students cannot attend the class because of school activities. These classes are still self-financed, with their costs covered by donations from the students, schools, and churches, and do not use the state budget. "We are independent," Yoseph, who is also a pastor, said last week.

Meanwhile, a Confucianism teacher who did not want to be named was grateful to have taught at a number of public and private schools in Jakarta for the past 15. He is a nonpermanent employee.

Before Confucianism was declared in 2000as one of the official religions in Indonesia, Confucian students had to study one of the approved religions. After Confucianism became an official religion, he tried to find Confucian students. “There was a Confucian student, but the school did not provide information [on the student’s faith] or family card. The students was then taught a different religion," he said.

In fact, he was once not allowed to enter a classroom. “So, I had to teach students in the lobby. Many people are still not aware, even though the government has guaranteed the right of children to receive religious education according to their faith," he said.

Welfare

Apart from the limited number of teachers and teaching facilities, the fate of some religion teachers remains uncertain. Firman Mirat, an Islam religion teacher at Tsanawiyah State Madrasah (elementary school) in Majalengka regency, West Java, for example, has been teaching since 2008, but has still not been granted civil servant (ASN) status. He has taken part in the ASN selection several times, but he was not accepted.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO (PRI)

Syukron, an Islamic religion teacher for fifth and sixth graders, prepares daily assessment materials to be uploaded to the distance learning platform Google Form at SD Negeri Jurang Mangu Barat 01, South Tangerang, Banten, Friday (29/1/2021).

Firman, who holds a master's degree, completed his professional teaching degree in 2019. He earns Rp 1.5 million (US$1,007) per month. “Teaching is more of a spiritual experience for me. The salary is small, but is it enough when I have children and a wife? I consider it a blessing," he said.

Firman continues to teach religion because he feels he has a moral responsibility to do so. He said he had a mandate from his school to teach. Along with technological advances, he is worried that children will study religion from unreliable sources, such as social media.

Norhayati (52) and Wahyu Nisawati Mafrukha (30), both nonpermanent religion teachers, hoped they would be appointed as ASN teachers in Purwokerto, Banyumas regency, Central Java.

Norhayati has been a Christianity teacher for 16 years, while Nisawati has been an Islam teacher for four years. “I taught Christianity in early 2005 at SDN 3 Banjarpanepen elementary school. There have been ups and downs, but I do it sincerely to help build the students’ character," she said.

Meanwhile, John Paul (29) has been teaching Catholicism at public and private high schools in Bekasi since 2017. As a nonpermanent teacher at a state high school, he does not receive a salary and only receives a transportation allowance of around Rp 600,000 per month. “I teach as a form of my devotion,” he said.

A number of parties continue to fight for the fate of religion teachers. One effort is an online petition on Change.org titled “Mr. Minister, Mr. Menag [Religious Affairs Minister] , how long will PAK [Christian education] be neglect at public schools?”. More than 2,000 people have signed the petition, which was started by Mary Monalisa Nainggolan, a researcher and observer of Christian religion and character education.

Although her concern has received attention from the government, the appointment of Christianity religion teachers, both ASNs and nonpermanent employees (PPPK), is still far below the demand.

Mary raised the issue of the shortage of PAK teachers at public schools after conducting research in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi in 2020. Although her concern has received attention from the government, the appointment of Christianity religion teachers, both ASNs and nonpermanent employees (PPPK), is still far below the demand.

Christianity religion teachers also spoke about the fate of those who never had the opportunity to become ASNs and the lack of religion teachers at schools. "The petition aims to encourage the government to address the problem of the shortage of Christian religion teachers and teachers of other minority religions in public schools," said Mary.

KRISTIAN OKA PRASETYADI

The students of SMP Negeri 2 Nanusa Miangas. North Sulawesi, with a religion teacher as well as a mathematics teacher, Saturdaydewo Sono, on Friday (6/3/2020).

Especially in the midst of the enthusiasm of the young people to study religion, the presence of religion teachers is increasingly needed. “People's thirst for learning religion is quite high, but this has not been

met with qualified teachers. Children now prioritize what they get from social media without verifying the sources," said Firman.

Meanwhile, John said religious education was important because it taught perspectives and insights on faith. This was why religion teachers remained loyal to their profession, he added. (MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA/MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI/ESTER LINCE NAPITUPULU]

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi)