Bali teachers stage silent protest

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Hundreds of teachers and members of the Bali chapter of Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI) staged a street demonstration here on Friday urging the government to take concrete steps in improving the welfare of the nation's teachers.

Unlike the noisy protests by teachers in other cities over the past week, the demonstration in Denpasar was one of silence. As they marched to the Bali Legislative Council, the teachers -- dressed in their PGRI uniforms -- did so without uttering a sound.

"Our actions are different from the others. Because Bali is a major tourist destination, we prefer the use of silence," PGRI Bali chairman I Gusti Lanang Jelantik said.

"We guarantee the protest has not affected classes. Each school has sent only one delegate," he said after a dialog with council members to discuss their demand for higher salaries.

The PGRI chapter in Bali boasts 42,000 members.

There have been similar protests elsewhere in Indonesia in the past week, all calling for an increase in salary. In some regions, teachers have threatened to go on strike or boycott the final national school examinations which will begin next month.

In contrast to the silent protest, the dialog was far from peaceful, with teachers talking down a council member who was making a long-winded speech.

"We are fed up with empty promises and pointless flattery. We have been a political commodity for decades and we now want the government to take serious steps to make our lives better," said a teacher.

The teachers demanded a 100 percent increase in their monthly salaries and a 300 to 400 percent increase in functional allowances.

In Semarang, 20 members of the Committee for Teachers' Welfare (KP2KG), marched to the Central Java Legislative Council calling on its support for teachers who want remunerations.

"We come from all parts of Central Java to represent our 250,000 colleagues. We support the teachers' struggle for a better life," committee chairman Taruna said.

He warned that the committee would bring thousands of teachers to the streets if the government failed to heed its demands.

In Bandung, more than 100 students of the teacher training University of Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) marched to the West Java legislative council demanding that the government overhaul the nation's educational system.

The student spokesman Wasmin stated that education could be improved if the government allocated more money, including raising the salaries of teachers.

"Teachers deserve better wages. It will prevent them from having to do other kinds of work to make ends meet," Wasmin said. (zen/har/25/sur)