Bengkulu short 900 teachers

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)