Govt to Appoint 100,000 Teachers in 2018

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Vice President Jusuf Kalla takes a look at the teaching simulation process on the sidelines of the Public Dialogue on Naitonal Education at the Indonesian Teacher Building, Central Jakarta, Tuesday (10/7/2018). In the event, the Vice President heard the aspirations of a number of teacher representatives.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The government plans to appoint 100,000 teachers with state civil apparatus (ASN) status this year. The appointment will involve a selection process to ensure teacher quality, which will in turn ensure the improvement of education quality.

“We need to replace retired teachers every year. People should not be worried over a shortage of teachers. However, all appointed teachers must be prepared to serve in disadvantaged and frontier regions,” Vice President Jusuf Kalla said in a National Public Discussion and Gathering in Jakarta on Tuesday (10/7/2018). The event was held in collaboration between Kompas, the Culture and Education Ministry and the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI).

Education and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry director general of resources Ali Ghufron Mukti and PGRI chairwoman Unifah Rosyidi attended the event.

Kalla said Indonesia should have a good education system as education was the largest expenditure in the state budget. Quality education is the key to achieve national progress.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Vice President Jusuf Kalla gives a speech at the National Education Dialogue at the Indonesian Teacher Building, Central Jakarta, Tuesday (10/07/2018).

On the occasion, Sri Mulyani said the government had disbursed 20 percent of the state budget for education every year since 2009. In 2018, the education budget reached more than Rp 444 trillion (US$30.9 billion), an increase of the Rp 419 trillion in 2017. Every year, the education budget increases and the state budget increases.

“More research is needed to find out the effect of education budget increase on education quality. Indonesia must have a clear education design. With 20 percent of the state budget allocated for education, we need a priority strategy to ensure a quality education,” Sri Mulyani said.

Muhadjir said the goal of appointing new teachers was to replace retired teachers, of which there were around 60,000 every year. “There are instances where retired teachers are not immediately replaced. Consequently, schools appoint non-contract teachers,” Muhadjir said.

Unifah said many non-contract teachers had uncertain futures and low salary. The government should seek a solution to this issue.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Vice President Jusuf Kalla accompanied by Education and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy (left) has a dialogue with school students at a room of the Smart Learning and Character Center on the sidelines of National Education Dialogue in the Indonesian Teacher Building, Central Jakarta, Tuesday (10/7/2018).

Reflecting on France

The government should reflect on France’s experience to avoid stagnation in the country’s education system. After he was inaugurated as president in May 2017, Emmanuel Macron launched groundbreaking reformist programs aiming to restore France’s superiority in Europe. Despite public and opposition resistance, Macron’s reformist programs were easily approved by the parliament as his party En Marche held the majority.

Macron’s education reform is based on the belief that education is among the most influential factors in curbing economic slowdown. Under Macron’s new system, compulsory education begins at the age of three (previously, it was at the age of six). The number of students in one classroom is significantly reduced to give teachers better opportunity to understand their students’ development. Consequently, France is currently seeking 3,000-4,000 new elementary school teachers.

The education curriculum is also overhauled to give more space for science and technology, including by giving coding classes. Internships are mandatory at high school level, thereby giving students an earlier glimpse on the professional world. Mastery of foreign languages is also made a requirement to boost students’ competitiveness in the future.

In higher education, Macron changed the new students’ enrollment system. The previous laws guaranteed university enrollment for all high school graduates. Under Macron, universities are given the freedom to conduct a selection process for prospective students based on their academic achievements in the last years of high school.

Universities are also allowed to seek their own funding sources. Macron said that he hoped French universities could set examples for the world and be the preferred choices of international prospective students. Therefore, he pledged to make French universities the best in research.

(ELN/NTA/MYR)