Bill aims to boost teachers' skills<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Work is a balancing act for Suparti, a teacher with 11 years'
\nexperience who is employed by two schools some 50 kilometers
\napart.<\/p>\n
She said her life as a teacher had become an idealism versus
\nfinancial demands trade-off. Due to working two jobs, she has
\nbarely any time to develop her teaching methods.<\/p>\n
"I don't even have time to read books related to economics,
\nthe subject that I teach," said the 33-year-old woman, who is the
\nprincipal of SMU Tadika Pertiwi Depok.<\/p>\n
Only 19 out of her 31 students passed the recent national
\nexams.<\/p>\n
"My students are used to memorizing theories while the exam's
\nquestions are mostly applied economics," she said.<\/p>\n
Suparti is among some 861,915 secondary level teachers now
\nunder the government's scrutiny after the number of students
\nfailing the national exams doubled from last year's figure to
\naround 800,000.<\/p>\n
The government has partially blamed the failure rate on
\nteachers.<\/p>\n
A recent education ministry report showed that only 10 to 20
\npercent of the country's primary and secondary level teachers
\npassed their competency test. The test is taken by all trained
\nteachers who want to become civil servants.<\/p>\n
Education experts have said improving the quality of education
\nhere depends on the political will of both the central and local
\ngovernments to provide enough funding and training for teachers,
\naside from better remuneration and career planning.<\/p>\n
The government has proposed a draft law on teachers and
\nlecturers, which specifies the rights and obligations of
\neducation professionals.<\/p>\n
According to the draft, education professionals must meet a
\nhigh standard of competence, which would be regularly assessed.
\nThey are entitled to adequate remuneration, achievement-based
\npromotions and the tools required by their profession.<\/p>\n
The education ministry's director general for human resource
\ndevelopment, Fasli Djalal, said last week that the minimum
\neducation requirement for teachers would be D4 (university
\ndiploma-level) or S1 (university degree-level), plus 38 to 40
\ncredits in a professional subject.<\/p>\n
Fasli said to increase teachers' competence, teacher training
\nwould be offered, as well as local and national workshops.
\n "However, if they are already well-educated, they do not have
\nto participate and will receive remuneration according to their
\nsalaries," he said.<\/p>\n
Education professionals appointed to conflict-areas or remote
\nregions will be automatically promoted after a specified period
\nof time and are entitled to an extra allowance, the draft says.<\/p>\n
It says the education system must protect teachers from unfair
\ndismissal and ensure their salaries are sufficient.<\/p>\n
"With the new rights and requirements, we will be able to
\ngradually raise the competence of teachers as well as national
\neducation standards," Fasli said. (003)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bill-aims-to-boost-teachers-skills-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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