Transformation of Teacher Management

KOMPAS/SAMUEL OKTORA

Q&A -- Two ninth-grade students deliver their presentation on civic education, followed by an open question-and-answer session, on 29 April 2019 at SMA 1 Sumedang senior high school in Sumedang, West Java. The school applies the High-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) learning model in its classes, where teachers guide and support students in exploring their self-potential.

In addition to problems related to the welfare and quality of teachers, another problem that needs to be addressed is the uneven distribution of teachers.

In terms of quantity, the number of teachers, which reaches 3.1 million, is actually sufficient based on the international standard ratio between teachers and students. Nevertheless, uneven distribution is a problem in itself.

Around 270 regencies, especially those in the foremost, outermost and disadvantaged regions are complaining about the shortage of elementary school teachers. On the contrary, around 50 cities have reported that the number of elementary school teachers is far higher than the demand, especially elementary schools in urban centers. The same case has emerged at the middle and high school levels. Many regencies/cities lack teachers, whereas more than 200 regencies/cities have an excessive number of teachers.

Why are the teachers spread unevenly? One of the reasons is the powerfulness of regional autonomy. Decentralization in the field of education does not allow teachers to be moved among regencies or cities despite their neighboring position.

KOMPAS/FABIO M LOPES COSTA

A Suluh Insan Lestari instructor (right) provides guidance to a teacher on 9 May 2019 at the PAUD Papua Cerdas Mandiri early childhood school in Jayapura regency, Papua. The foundation promotes the use of the mother tongue curriculum to increase enthusiasm among students and literacy in remote regions of the province.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the general chairman of the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI), Unifah Rosyidi, expressed the need to efficiently transform teacher management. He made his statement at his inauguration as a permanent professor at the School of Education at the Jakarta State University, Monday (24/6/2019).

We agree with that statement because decentralization of education has several weaknesses. Apart from not being transferrable, teachers are also frequently attracted to practical political activities.

For example, because of the strong influence of teachers in the community, teachers are often asked by local politicians to become members of campaign teams during regional elections. Even though it is actually not allowed, the teachers cannot avoid it because the teachers who refuse are frequently transferred to the suburbs. Conversely, if the prospective regional head is elected, the teachers who were part of the campaign team are usually appointed regional officials.

This practice must be stopped. Therefore, it is time for an evaluation of the decentralization of education to overcome existing weaknesses.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

A trainer guides early childhood teachers during a STEAM education workshop on 23 Feb. 2019 at Tarumanegara University’s Education House in Jakarta. The workshop presented the education approach, which incorporates arts into the more established STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) model to nurture creative, critical learning for students aged 5 and above without the use of a computer.

Decentralization of education is currently based on education levels, namely elementary and junior high schools are handled by the regency/city governments, while the levels of senior high schools/vocational schools (SMK) are handled by the provincial governments. In the future, it will be possible for the division of authority to be based on management functions. For example, the maintenance of educational facilities is handled by regencies/cities, while recruitment, transfer and improvement of teacher quality are the authority of the central government. The transformation of teacher management is intended solely to improve the quality of education.