Care for all school staff

Care for all school staff

From Republika

The government must be commended for the average increase of officials' salaries of Rp 64,750. Congratulations also go to officials for their increase in allowances and to teachers with their functional allowance of 150 percent for their services to education.

However, are teachers the only ones providing meritorious service in education? Are school guards, administrative staff and other school employees not worthy? Do they not play a role in also determining the progress of education in the country?

I appeal respectfully and emphatically to the authorities (the minister of finance, the minister of national education, the House of Representatives and the Indonesian Teachers Union) to also speak up for school guards, school administrative staff and nonteaching employees of the national education ministry so that they obtain better work conditions, including allowances.

I especially appeal to the teachers' union to fight for us, too: school guards, administrative staff at schools and national education ministry employees. I am also a member of the union and pay a monthly contribution, but apparently the union has never fought on my behalf.

I am now waiting for the comments of my colleagues. Must we remain resigned to our condition, or set up another union to speak for us?

I appeal to journalists to write about the condition of school guards and the administrative staff at schools. I trust that journalists have good powers of persuasion.

ZAENUDIN AKHMAD

Wonosobo, Central Java