In Central Kalimantan, college is expensive and teacher salaries are low

On National Education Day, teachers and students in Central Kalimantan have lots of hopes about education in the region.

DOKUMENTASI PEMPROV KALTENG

Governor of Central Kalimantan Sugianto Sabran gave scholarships to student representatives in Palangka Raya, Thursday (2/5/2024).

PALANGKA RAYA, KOMPAS — In commemoration of National Education Day this time, teachers and students in Central Kalimantan once again expressed classic hopes. Apart from teachers' welfare, less fortunate students also want to be able to get scholarships to campus.

On National Education Day, a number of schools in Central Kalimantan celebrated it by holding ceremonies at their respective schools, some also held them in the courtyard of the Central Kalimantan Provincial Education Office and the governor's office yard, Thursday ( 2/5/2024).

One of the honorary teachers at PAUD Bhakti, Telawang District, East Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan, Sumarni (28), hopes that the state can pay more attention to teacher welfare. In his village, he is paid by village officials plus wages from the oil palm plantation company in his village area as a form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund.

From those two sources, Sumarni was paid Rp 1,550,000 per month for approximately the past five years of working at the private school. That amount is still far below the Regional Minimum Wage (UMR) of Kabupaten Kotawaringin Timur, which reaches Rp 3.3 million.

"If it is possible, all teachers should be given more attention, not just those in public schools and not just teachers in elementary, junior high, or high schools," said Sumarni when contacted from Palangka Raya.

KOMPAS/DIONISIUS REYNALDO TRIWIBOWO

Underneath the Kahayan bridge in Palangka Raya city, Central Kalimantan, Kalteng's youth organized a People's School for the children of Palangka Raya city on Sunday (July 2nd, 2023).

A similar statement was made by Andri J (26), an honorary teacher at a special school in Palangka Raya City. According to him, there is a need for new policies from the government that can improve the income of both private and state teachers.

"The demand for providing good education is not only in state schools, but also in private schools," said Andri.

Andri's wages vary depending on how many students he teaches. As he teaches children with special needs, every teacher in his school guides and teaches children individually, making it more intensive. One teacher in that school can only teach up to four students.

"If the wage can be above the minimum wage, in essence, we teachers are grateful for what we receive and do not diminish our spirit in teaching," said Andri.

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Another example is Sandi Kurniawan's (23) hope, a 10th-semester student majoring in mechanical engineering at Antakusuma University in Kotawaringin Barat Regency. According to him, the cost of tuition is still very expensive. His cousins and school friends decided to get married quickly because they could not afford to pursue higher education.

"I was able to attend college thanks to the assistance of the Bidikmisi scholarship. If it weren't for that, I would definitely have struggled to pay for this expensive tuition," said Sandi.

If possible, all teachers should receive more attention, not only those in public schools and not just teachers in elementary, junior high, or high schools.

Bidikmisi, according to Sandi, is given after becoming a university student, not during the initial admission. "I encouraged my friend to pursue higher education because of Bidikmisi, but it was actually the initial costs that made it difficult for them," he said.

Regarding tuition fees, the Governor of Central Kalimantan Sugianto Sabran on Thursday morning provided a new scholarship in an educational program called the Berkah Scholarship Savings (TABE) amounting to IDR 98 billion for needy students and students who currently completing the final project with a total of 13,113 people. Meanwhile, for teachers, the government is helping to build 1,000 houses with a down payment (DP) of 0 in Central Kalimantan.

"To realize capable human resources, education becomes an important part of development. Therefore, we provide various assistance for both students and teachers," said Sugianto.

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