156 teachers for small islands

156 teachers for small islands

SUMENEP, East Java: Schools on the 76 islets in this regency are getting 156 new teachers, most of whom are recent graduates from the state-owned teachers colleges at the universities of Malang and Jember, Antara reported on Saturday.

Some of the teachers will be replacing senior teachers who will be re-posted to Sumenep "so that they won't be bored teaching", said Musaffak, an local education official.

The regency is reportedly short of the 2,256 teachers it needs. One remote islet, Raas, has only one or two teachers for an entire elementary school, while most schools in the area should have at least nine.

Ironically, Musaffak said, 380 new teaching graduates are still unemployed. (swe)