Parents deplore ‘lazy’ teachers

Teachers from an isolated island’s elementary school are being accused of not turning up to classes and producing poor-quality graduates.

At a rally outside the Makassar Education and Culture Office on Thursday, a group of parents from Bone Tambung Island, in Makassar’s Ujungtanah district, said that lazy teachers have deprived their children of a proper education.

National Education Law No. 20/2003 states that it is mandatory for each citizen aged between seven and 15 to receive a basic education.

“Our children wish to learn, but their teachers are lazy. They rarely come to school, so our children fail to get a proper education. They go to school to learn, but the teachers are absent, so they only play at school. This deprives the children of an education,” community unit leader Sagena said.

The five-hectare island is located 18 kilometers, or a one-hour boat trip, from Makassar.

The elementary and junior high schools operate under the same roof, under the watch of a single principal, and share teachers.

The Bone Tambung elementary school has around 80 enrollments, while the junior high school has 20 students.

According to Sagena, only two of the five teachers assigned to the elementary school have been willing to teach. Both were employed on a temporary basis, while the others rarely teach.

“They appear only three or five days a month. They are occupied with other affairs,” Sagena said.

The often-absent teachers were not residents of the island. Their absences has affected graduates, with some still unable to read.

“Isn’t it strange to find students who graduated from elementary school but still can’t read or memorize the Indonesian national anthem?” Rahma, another parent at the rally, said.

She said the island’s young residents hoped they could receive a proper education like students living in cities.

“Where’s the quality education? Why are the islanders deprived of a proper education, unlike city residents?” said Rahma, who has been studying at a higher-learning institute in Makassar.

The parents also questioned the operational assistance (BOS) funds allocated to the two schools, saying how the money was used remained vague.

In response to the protest, Makassar Education and Culture Office head Mahmud BM vowed to send a team of officials to investigate the matter next week.

“I will assign a team to clarify the matter within seven days and report the findings to the mayor to take action,” he said.

Similar issues have also come to light on a number of other islands near Makassar. Teachers assigned to the islands have been accused of failing to fulfill their responsibilities.

Mahmud said that his office has yet to receive reports on those matters, but he did not deny that the
information might be true.

“We will conduct inspections and supervise teachers assigned on the islands,” he said.

He said the teachers working on the islands should not have excuses for skipping school because each of them had been provided with a home and special incentives from the city budget of RP 150,000 (about US$17) per month, along with education funding of Rp 2,500 an hour and stipends from the BOS.

“The facilities and incentives are aimed at making them feel at home when teaching on the island and to perform their obligations seriously. We don’t understand the reasons why they neglect their duties,” Mahmud said.

Nine elementary schools and two junior high schools are found on the eight small islands off Makassar. Each is equipped with six teachers.