Jakarta may face teacher shortage in 2012, says agency

The Jakarta Education Agency has expressed concerns over a possible shortage of teachers in elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools across the city by next year, since thousands of teachers are due for retirement.

“We are currently preparing to face a mass retirement of teachers in Jakarta in 2012,” the agency’s deputy chief, Agus Suradika, said Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

The thousands who are due to retire were recruited en masse in 1973. They are soon to reach the eligible retirement age of 60. Existing regulations stipulate that teachers of 60 years or older must go into retirement.

The agency is currently working out the number of teachers who will retire next year so it can propose the promotion of honorary teachers and recruit replacements.