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View all search resultsTeacher hiring plan draws regional autonomy concerns
Top government officials in Jakarta have called the plan to transfer nonpermanent teachers' contracts under regional administrations to the central government a solution to regional fiscal pressure and underpaid contract teachers.
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A teacher is seen in front of her class on Aug. 6 at SMPN 12 Sungai Raya state junior high school in Kubu Raya regency, West Kalimantan. Teaching and learning activities at the school resumed despite a fire burning a swath of peatland behind the school in the past two weeks. (Antara/Jessica Wuysang)
T
he government will transfer thousands of nonpermanent teachers working under contract schemes from regional administrations to the central government to ease local fiscal pressures, a move that revives concerns of recentralization of educators.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi announced the move on Tuesday after a meeting between several ministers and lawmakers at the House of Representatives to address long-standing appeals from teachers employed as government workers for greater certainty over their employment status and career prospects.
Under the new arrangement, teachers currently working as part-time government contract employees will be appointed to full-time positions. Meanwhile, full time contract teachers will be given an opportunity to go through the selection process of becoming state employees.
“In regard to their employment status, we also agreed their status will be changed to that of central government employees,” Prasetyo said.
Most nonpermanent teachers, both working in part- or full-time positions, are employed under the Government Employees with Work Agreements (PPPK) scheme. They are managed by regional administrations, with their salaries paid through regional budgets.
But critics say teachers remain underpaid, often earning far below provincial minimum wage standards despite bearing the same workload as state employees and contract teachers.
The government’s move came amid mounting fiscal pressures on regional administrations caused by budget austerity measures imposed by Prabowo that include cuts to regional transfers. The budget efficiency was forced to free up funds for the President’s flagship programs such as the multitrillion-rupiah free nutritious meal program.
