Concerned Indonesian teachers

Michael Setiawan ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 05/10/2008 10:34 AM  |  Opinion

May 2 is always celebrated as National Education Day. However, every time we talk about education in this country, sad things inevitably crop-up; from a constantly changing curriculum to teacher quality. Education in this country will always be problematic.

One of the biggest problems in education is teacher quality. A teacher is one of the most important elements to determine the success of a student. Behind a successful student, there is always a great influential teacher. Teachers should play a critical role in student development, but that does not always happen in Indonesia.

Teachers should play a critical role in student development, but that does not always happen in Indonesia.

Teachers in this country have many things to worry about, especially when it comes to the government and money. Many teachers, especially in public schools, do not make enough money to live comfortably.

Many must work second jobs after school finishes just to fulfill daily needs. This phenomena is unique to Indonesia as other teachers in other countries receive benefits and gifts from their governments and societies.

Many teachers in Indonesia work because of their dedication to the country's development. However, it does not mean they neglect their own lives and needs.

Many who are teacher-qualified reject the profession due to its financial limitations, preferring to work in offices to make a solid living.

They see that many teachers live hard lives, and respond negatively to the famous Indonesian motto of old, "a teacher is a hero without payment".

There are some sad cases involving teachers that blanket Indonesia's education system in dark shame. The biggest case involved teachers who were dismissed because they reported incidents of cheating during the National Exams. They were doing the right thing, but what they got was far from appreciation and thanks.

The latest case, although not well known, involved Neyfiyana, the principal of Maria Franciska Primary School in Bekasi. She was accused of stealing from the School Operational Assistance (BOS), and was arrested on Dec. 17, 2007, on allegations of embezzling around Rp 20 million (US$2,158.54). She awaits the judge's decision, to come on May 7, 2008, on whether her prison term will be a year or a year and a half.

So far, during her four months in prison, Neyfiyana, a graduate of the Faculty of Education of Atma Jaya University, has spent a lot of money on proving the existence of a "court mafia". She has conducted her defense with approval from both sides, including from government officials. The incident came down to just a misunderstanding between her and a high-ranking member of the National Police.

If she had not accepted the BOS fund, she would be living happily together with her husband and two little children. She was so pitiful because she did not want to accept the fund in the first place because her school did not need it, but the government official asked her to accept.

The case is evidence of a lack of respect for the teaching profession. Nowadays, people can approach teachers with anger and without manners. It is especially dangerous for a teacher to be approached by persons of influence because of the possibility of being set up.

If the situation continues, teachers will have to live in fear of losing their jobs, living in poverty, or even in prison because of the selfishness of influential parents.

Long ago, teaching was a prestigious profession, but now its popularity is decreasing dramatically. People show no respect.

In the past, even government officials showed great respect, but now few continue the fight to improve teachers' living conditions.

Teachers should be respected well and paid well so they can teach well. We have to secure those two things if we don't want our children to be poorly taught.

The government and the people should pay attention to this honorable profession. We should abide by this new motto, "a teacher is a hero who should be respected."

The writer is a teacher. He can be reached at michaelsetiawan@hotmail.com

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