School teachers underpaid, undervalued

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 10/03/2007 3:50 PM | Jakarta

Agnes Winarti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Wearing a necktie may indicate a higher social status for some people, but for most school teachers it often represents a paradox.

""I wear a necktie to work every Monday. I may look chic on the outside, but actually, my pockets are virtually empty,"" principal of SD Strada Van Lith II elementary school, Heribertus Ngatijo, told The Jakarta Post recently.

Heribertus, a father of two who is better known as Heri, has been a teacher for 28 years.

He was assigned as the principal of the private Catholic elementary school in East Jakarta in July, after working for six years as a vice principal at another school.

""Although I'm a school principal, I still have to borrow money from the school cooperative to pay for my children's education,"" said Heri, who earns Rp 2.4 million a month.

He calculated that by the time his eldest daughter has graduated high school, he would still be Rp 30 million in debt for the Rp 6 million he borrowed every semester.

""I'm paying back Rp 500,000 installments every month, which means next semester I'll still be Rp 3 million in debt, and this will continue to accumulate,"" he said.

""It is usual for us (teachers) to borrow from Peter to pay Paul, even for daily necessities,"" said Heri whose school has 575 students and 18 teachers.

""In this country, teachers are overlooked. The government disregards private schools, but the fact is not all private schools have healthy finances,"" said the 48-year old principal.

Private school teachers receive a Rp 200,000 benefit per month from the government, but only if they teach for 24 hours per week during the month. It's the only benefit provided by the government to private school teachers.

The government recently promised to pay contract-based teachers a basic salary as opposed to an hourly rate, on the condition they hold a university degree. Meanwhile, teachers without a degree would be required to sit an examination to gain certification.

Heri said those who have been teaching more than 20 years should be exempt from having to sit the certification process examination.

Lina, who has been teaching for 32 years in another private school, said ""I'm alright with the certification. It's a chance for me to gain more knowledge.""

Lina received a scholarship for her degree from Atmajaya Catholic University. She currently receives a gross monthly salary of Rp 2.4 million, including a Rp 3,000 daily meal allowance and 22,500 daily transportation allowance.

Heri said the government's lack of appreciation for teachers had created a lack of drive among the younger generation to become teachers.

""Becoming a teacher is like being prepared to be poor all of your life.""

Dewi, who has worked in a state-owned elementary school for 13 years as an English teacher, agreed. ""Not many young people want to become teachers, with only a Rp 800,000 monthly honorarium.""

Dewi currently teaches at SD Negeri 02 Pagi Pondok Bambu state elementary school, East Jakarta, which has 15 civil servant teachers.

Meanwhile, state-owned school teachers in Jakarta have acknowledged they received better welfare in the last five years due to the city administration's allocation for teachers.

Dewi's colleague, Fauzi Hasan, 42, a civil servant teacher since 1986, said he earned a Rp 5 million monthly salary, which included a total Rp 2.5 million in benefits from the city administration.

Even with a better salary than private teachers, Fauzi, who has a one-year-old infant and two daughters still studying in junior high and elementary school, said he still needed to give private tutorials in order to cover household expenses.

Yosephine, 57, a teacher from SDN 02 Pagi state elementary school on Jl. Saharjo, in South Jakarta, said ""Welfare is quite a determining factor.""

""A teacher's pay is only enough to cover transportation and meals, which means there's no chance for recreational activities. That's enough for me and my husband. But, what about for others?

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