Ministry, PGRI draft bill on teachers' rights, obligations<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of National Education along with
\nthe Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI) and related parties are
\ndrafting a bill on teachers' protection, rights and obligations
\nespecially for those serving their duties in disputed areas,
\nofficials said.<\/p>\n
\"Teachers have been left out for decades and no sufficient
\neffort has been made to lift their wellbeing,\" PGRI chairman
\nMuhammad Surya said in a media briefing on the commemoration of
\nTeacher's Day and the 55th anniversary of PGRI which falls on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
\"We first realized the urgent need to set this law last year,
\nwhen there was outbreaks of violence in several parts of the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"Thousands of teachers have been left stranded in disputed
\nregions such as the Malukus, Irian Jaya and Aceh,\" Surya said.<\/p>\n
In Aceh, for example, at least 100 teachers, most of them
\nelementary teachers, were either killed or abducted over the past
\ncouple of years, Surya said.<\/p>\n
\"In some cases in Aceh -- where the spirit of separatism still
\nruns high -- they still had to teach Indonesian nationalism, our
\nanthem and about the national red-and-white flag. Those teachers
\nended up being kidnapped or killed by unidentified gunmen,\" Surya
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Similar incidences also happened in Irian Jaya where at least
\n366 teachers from elementary and secondary education institutions
\nrequested strongly to be transferred from the town of Wamena, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"The number does not include the hundreds of school
\nsupervisors. In the recent Wamena riot, at least three teachers
\nwere killed,\" Surya said, adding that the situation had become
\neven worse in the Malukus after his office was no longer able to
\nestablish contact with its colleagues there.<\/p>\n
According to him, none of these severe conditions have ever
\nbeen anticipated since there are no regulations for the
\narrangement of the safety, welfare or transfer of these teachers.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the ministry and PGRI is now working on the
\nphilosophical basis of a protection bill draft, Surya added.<\/p>\n
\"If a soldier dies, there is a motto 'one dies, 1,000 births
\nto come' but if one good teacher dies, 1,000 pupils will be
\nabandoned. Few people realize this,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In a bid to cope with the problem, the ministry is working on
\nan alternative school project in cooperation with a non-
\ngovernmental organization in Maluku.<\/p>\n
\"As for Irian Jaya and Aceh, we are asking the government to
\nallow us to raise the quota of teachers. We hire available
\ncontract teachers as only a few are willing to be stationed
\nthere,\" Director General for Primary and Secondary Education
\nIndra Djati Sidi said.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Indra Djati revealed that the ministry
\nwill maintain the minimum service standard (SPM) for basic,
\nelementary and secondary level education in the wake of regional
\nautonomy next year.<\/p>\n
\"It is dangerous to let the regions loose to run the education
\nsystem as the gap between the rich and poor provinces will be
\nmuch wider.<\/p>\n
\"The minimum standard will be set nation-wide which would
\ncover the curriculum, competition standard, general requirement
\nfor school entry every year, standard facilities from books to
\nlearning devices, uniforms and the school organization units as
\nwell as the number of functional and administrative staffs. The
\ncurriculum will also be divided for children with extraordinary,
\nsmart or normal capabilities,\" Indra Djati said.<\/p>\n
Authorities at the regencies, however, are free to put their
\nlocal content in the curriculum.<\/p>\n
As for the offer from East Timorese authorities for Indonesian
\nteachers to work there with a minimum fee of US$128 per month,
\nboth Indra Djati and Surya said that so many things have to be
\nfixed first. \"It's a long shot and it depends on both country's
\nagreement.\" (edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ministry-pgri-draft-bill-on-teachers-rights-obligations-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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