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Jakarta teachers plead for help after losing source of income
As one of the 149 contract teachers affected by the policy, Imam was about to lose Rp 3 million (US$185) of his monthly salary for being a member of teaching staff at a state school in North Jakarta.
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Enabling equality: A teacher explains how to read the Quran during an Islamic class on March 18, 2024, at the SLB D-D1 YPAC special education elementary school in Jakarta.
(Antara/Sulthony Hasanuddin)
T
he sudden dismissal of hundreds of nonpermanent teachers in Jakarta in mid-July, the beginning of this academic year, came as a bolt from the blue for Imam, not his real name, as a large slice is to be cut from his income.
Being one of the 149 contract teachers affected by the policy, Imam is about to lose Rp 3 million (US$185) of his monthly salary as a member of teaching staff at a state school in North Jakarta; he had carried out the role for about three years until authorities decided to cut scores of nonpermanent teachers following the discovery of procedural errors in the hiring system.
After public backlash over the sudden dismissal of the state school educators, the Jakarta administration vowed to redistribute the manpower to schools that had teacher shortages, but Imam’s faith remained in limbo.
"I'm still waiting for clarity [over my employment status] or any follow-up information from the principal. If the principal wants to transfer me to another state school, I will follow through," he said on Tuesday.
Now, Imam teaches the Quran for after school classes and private lessons, for which he earns Rp 650,000 per month, barely enough to make ends meet.
Read also: Jakarta eyes recruitment drive for laid-off, nonpermanent teachers
Andi, another affected teacher who also prefers to keep his real identity secret, said the big blow occurred at the beginning of this academic year as authorities issued a list of nonpermanent teaching staff to be “cleansed” following alleged procedural errors during their recruitment.
