The Appointment of 1 Million PPPK Teachers is Chaotic.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

A number of teachers in the Non-Category 35+ Honorary Islamic Religious Education Teacher association in Cirebon Regency, West Java, Tuesday (22/11/2022). They fight for honorary teachers to become government employees with work agreements or PPPK.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The commemoration of National Teacher's Day 2022 still leaves chaos over the issue of hiring 1 million teachers with the status of civil servant (ASN) and their work agreements. The applications from local governments have been minimal due to uncertainty over remuneration from the central government. The fate of hundreds of thousands of contract teachers is in limbo.

From the recruitment of government employee teachers with work agreements (PPPK) phases 1 and 2 in 2021 to stage 3 in 2022, the formation submissions from the local government are always far below requirements. The Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry (Kemendikbudristek) opened the recruitment of 1,002,616 teachers for public schools. However, the formation proposed by the local government in 2021 was only 506,252 teachers.

In 2022, the formation proposals from regional governments are still far from needed, namely 40.9 percent of the central government's quota of 781,844 people. Appointments for teachers who have graduated but have not yet received formation cannot be fulfilled.

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Only 127,186 priority one teachers have received formation until November 2022. Thus, out of the need for around one million PPPK teachers, only 421,046 teachers have received formation in public schools in the regions.

“Our fate is swaying without clarity. In fact, we have participated in the selection according to the procedures set by the government," said the head of the forum of the Indonesian Contract Teachers with Passing Grade, Heti Kustrianingsih, Thursday (24/11/2022).

As a result of this ambiguity, a number of teachers were disadvantaged because they had already left the school where they taught. Not a few take other jobs, from being traders to a motorcycle taxi drivers.

The contract teachers are worried because their future is uncertain. They are like victims of policies by the central and regional governments that are inconsistent. The local governments do not have the courage to propose formations because there is no clarity or guarantee for the payment of PPPK teachers' salaries as promised by the central government.

IVAN DWI KURNIA PUTRA

A Culture Middle School (SMP) teacher, Dermiatin (45), interacts with his students at the Culture Middle School, Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, Tuesday (22/11/2022). He has taught at the Culture Middle School for 10 years. Since 2021 he has passed the minimum grade or passing grade but has not received formation to this day.

Inadequate budget

Policy misalignment regarding the budget had forced the Brebes Regency Government, Central Java, to cancel the application for the PPPK teacher formation in 2022. Brebes Regency Secretary Djoko Gunawan said the allocation in the general allocation fund (DAU) for PPPK was around Rp 84 billion. If 1,497 people are added, the burden on the DAU will not be enough because around Rp 260 billion a year is needed.

“We only got Rp 84 billion. The regency government has calculated that the funding is insufficient,” he said.

However, because the public's expectations are so strong, the Brebes Regency Government opens another 1,285 formations this month. "The Regent emphasizes that regional original income is boosted again, increased, and there are several efficiencies from the SKPD (regional work units) which we feel can be postponed to meet this need. That's the solution," said Djoko.

Acting Head of the Personnel and Human Resources Development Agency for Indramayu Regency Ari Risdianto revealed that Indramayu Regency proposed a quota of 280 PPPK teachers. However, Indramayu is experiencing limited Regional Budget (APBD).

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“We will certainly be happy if all of them can be appointed PPPK civil servants. But, again, our budget is limited. There are still many other sectors that must be financed, for example infrastructure," said Ari.

From East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), a member of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR), Yacoba Anita Gah, in a meeting with representatives of contract teachers from 22 regencies/cities throughout NTT in Kupang City, said the Finance Ministry had sent DAU of Rp 157 billion for the appointment of around 3,000 honorary teachers who have passed the PPPK selection in NTT in 2021. However, the NTT Provincial Government has yet to open teacher formations.

"The central (government) is not wrong, it is not discriminatory against NTT. The problem is the Provincial Government of NTT. They want to build NTT's human resources or let human resources in this area continue to be in poor condition. Do they have the will to develop this area or not?” she said.

IVAN DWI KURNIA PUTRA

Teachers at Kemanggisan 10 Pagi Elementary School, West Jakarta, cheered at the dance performance of students after the commemoration ceremony for National Teacher's Day 2022, Friday (25/11/2022).

Provided by the central government

During a working meeting with House of Representatives (DPR) Commission X in Jakarta, Education, Culture, Research and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim acknowledged the many challenges in the teacher recruitment process. Finding a solution was also complicated because it involved various parties, with each step related to another.

Nadiem admitted that he was frustrated when he visited the regions. "It’s confusion, even though we have explained many times that the central government has provided the budget. We will continue to fight and socialize [the program] in the regions to reassure and convince PPPK teachers that this is the number one priority," he said.

Director of General Transfers Adriyanto at the Finance Ministry said the central government guaranteed the budget allocated for the salaries of PPPK civil servant teachers in the DAU post. Its use had been specifically earmarked. It was hoped that the local administrations would not hesitate to apply for their quotas and appoint PPPK teachers as needed.

To encourage more local administrations to appoint formations, in the 2023 DAU, an allocation has been earmarked for the salaries of PPPK formations.

In the 2023 State Budget (APBN), the central government, through the Finance Ministry, has budgeted Rp 25.74 trillion for PPPK formation and payroll under the DAU post. The formation includes PPPK teachers, PPPK health workers, and PPPK technical workers.

Adriyanto said that, different from the previous DAU, he central government had earmarked a special allocation for the PPPK formation payroll in the 2023 DAU. Information on budget allocations with specific uses was also included in the 2023 APBN Law to provide certainty and encourage compliance among local administrations when submitting applications and appointing PPPK civil servants.

"To encourage more local administrations to appoint formations, in the 2023 DAU, an allocation has been earmarked for the salaries of PPPK formations. The funds will be disbursed later only if the area concerned has submitted a report on the appointment of PPPK formations for 2022 and 2023," said Adriyanto.

(DKA/FRN/KOR/AGE/IKI/TAM/ELN/NIK/RAM/Z04/Z11/Z16)