G

overnment policy that requires teachers to write academic papers or scientific work to qualify for promotion has resulted in 800,000 teachers across the country struggling to earn promotion, according to the Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI).

PGRI chairman Sulistyo said that the policy had caused great stress for teachers as it was very difficult for them to publish scientific work in addition to teaching 24 hours per week.

'€œMaking the research and publication of academic papers a mandatory activity for teachers to do in order to achieve promotion and more benefits is a terrible and wrong policy and could render teachers unable to teach,'€ he said on Saturday.

According to Sulistyo, the main obligations of a standard teacher differ from those of a university lecturer.

'€œA teacher'€™s role is not to do research. He or she is not a scientist. Even if a teacher has to do research or write an academic paper, despite the fact that the law on teachers does not mention anything about it, then these activities should not become something mandatory that is detrimental to a teacher'€™s career if he or she has carried out his or her main task well and properly,'€ he said.

The policy was first implemented through the State Apparatus Ministerial Decree No. 84/1993, which declared that 4A-ranked teachers must write scientific work if they desired a promotion.

Later the government applied the same policy to all teachers with the ranking of 3B or above through the State Apparatus Ministerial Decree No. 16/2009.

The Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry said that the policy was in line with the government'€™s recent effort to boost teacher quality, especially in the new generation, by pushing them to enrol in a certification and specialization program by the end of 2015.

By requiring teachers to write academic papers, the government is hoping that they will improve their academic skills.

'€œIf a teacher has never been to a library [in order to work on his or her academic papers], then what kind of scientific work could he or she produce?'€ the ministry'€™s evaluation directorate program planning head, Tagor Alamsyah Harahap, recently said.

Despite the good intention, Sulistiyo said that the government failed to take into consideration the fact that most teachers in the country were not well equipped to write academic papers, unlike university lecturers who usually possessed a higher education level.

'€œLecturers are prepared for research and scientific work. They are funded. As for teachers, there is no such thing,'€ he said.

Tagor admitted that many teachers might not be prepared to undertake such a daunting task. However, teachers should take the initiative to improve their academic writing and research skills by allocating a portion of their benefits for that express purpose, he said.

Sulistyo said that the ministerial decree on the policy should be annulled as it was issued by the State Apparatus Ministry, which had no business in regulating what teachers must do to achieve a promotion.

'€œThere are many education policies made by university professors who do not understand teachers.'€ he said.