Bengkulu short 900 teachers

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: Elementary and madrasah (Islamic) schools here are short 900 teachers, prompting physical education teachers to teach other subjects, the local education and culture chief said yesterday.

H. Idrus Mauma told Antara that the students' learning process has not been disrupted because the skills of existing teaching staffs were applied as best as possible.

However, he said, "We would like the Ministry of Education and Culture to help us ... by promoting new teachers and transferring existing teachers."

Idrus said problems affecting schools included unsuitable school buildings and inadequate desks and chairs to match the number of students.

There are 10,972 teachers in Bengkulu, most of whom are in elementary schools maintaining a teaching staff of less than nine, a number that falls below the Ministry of Education and Culture's requirement for schools.

The ministry stipulates elementary schools require a teacher for each grade, a teacher for each subject taught in the school and a teacher-student ratio of one to 40.

Bengkulu's elementary schools and private Islamic schools Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Swasta number 1,358 and 67 respectively, with a total number of 211,172 students. (01)