Condescension towards teachers

Condescension towards teachers

From Kompas

At the awards ceremony of the Indonesian Sinetron (television
films) Festival on Dec. 19, master of ceremonies Dono, of the
Warkop group, took a condescending attitude towards the teaching
profession when introducing Adi and Iyut Bing Slamet. Dono said
they had initially wanted to become teachers but instead became
artists because their income is far higher in comparison with
teachers' pay.

Although the low pay of teachers is a fact, such words should
not have been spoken by an actor of Dono's class in front of a
minister and nationwide television audience.

We have all been taught (Dono no exception, I expect) since
childhood to respect teachers. It has also become a slogan in
this country that "a teacher is a hero without an order of
merit."

I am not a teacher myself, but my father was. He has worked as
a teacher for more than 25 years and nobody has ever insulted his
profession.

I feel insulted that my father's noble profession has been
insulted by a public figure like Dono.

M. SOLEH

Jakarta