Disheartening: After 23 Years of Service, Casual Teacher in East Nusa Tenggara Earning Only Rp 223,000 Monthly
Since 2002, Agusthinus Nitbani (52) has stood before his class as an elementary school teacher in Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). More than two decades have passed, yet his employment remains on a casual basis. His salary has never been adequate. Currently, he receives only Rp 223,000 per month.
When he began his service in 2002-2003, Agusthinus was an unpaid volunteer teacher. He continued teaching despite having no guarantee of compensation. “I was a casual teacher from 2002-2003 with no salary; I was a volunteer teacher. After that, in 2004 I received Rp 50,000, and this increased to Rp 100,000 by 2007,” Agusthinus explained on Friday, 27 February 2026.
In 2009, he was entrusted with establishing SD Negeri Batu Lesa in Sumlili Village, Kupang Regency. At that time, his honour increased to Rp 150,000, and could reach Rp 200,000 with additional allowances. However, his struggles extended beyond salary concerns.
From Church to Former Animal Shelter
The school he founded began in a church hall with 12 pupils. There was no permanent building. Children studied in makeshift conditions. When student numbers increased to classes 1 through 3, the church space became inadequate. “SD Negeri Batu Lesa had no building initially, so we held classes in a church with 12 pupils. As students increased from classes 1-3, the children wrote on the church walls, and eventually we were moved to an abandoned residential house. The owner had moved away, but the building was still being used as a goat shelter,” he explained.
Teaching and learning continued in that empty house, previously used as a livestock shelter. Agusthinus subsequently gathered parents and organised a meeting to seek land so the school could have its own building. During that meeting, parents hoped a permanent civil servant (PNS) teacher would be assigned because all instructors remained casual. Through coordination with the parent school, SDN Sumlili, one PNS teacher was eventually placed there.
Gradually, the school’s conditions improved. In 2014, Kupang Regency Government built three classrooms. Special Allocation Fund (DAK) assistance added three more rooms. SD Negeri Batu Lesa now has six classrooms with 68 pupils. “Over time, we received three rooms from the government, and by 2014 we got three additional rooms from the DAK. So now we have six classrooms with 68 pupils currently,” he said.
Salary Cut to Rp 223,000
Despite improved school facilities, his fate as a casual teacher changed little. In 2023, his salary increased to Rp 600,000 monthly. However, in July 2025, this was slashed to Rp 223,000. “My salary rose to Rp 600,000 in 2023, but recently in July 2025 it was reduced to Rp 223,000, where it remains. When there is BOS funding, we receive Rp 223,000, but if there is no BOS funding, we have not received any salary,” he explained.
He attributed the reduction to operational guidelines for BOS funds that limit allocations for casual teachers. As a father of two, he acknowledged that such income was far from sufficient. “With two children, the salary barely covers my daily commute from home to school, but for family needs it is completely inadequate. We face severe hardship; once you have a family, this salary is simply insufficient. Even a day’s pay seems grossly inadequate to me,” he said.
Meeting with the Regent
Following news coverage of his Rp 223,000 salary, Kupang Regent Yosef Lede called him in for a meeting. However, Agusthinus felt no concrete solution resulted. “From what I saw, his response to me offered nothing,” he stated.
He said the regent conveyed that teacher recruitment now falls under central government authority and asked him to await the opening of PPPK (Educator Civil Servant Candidate) entrance examinations. Meanwhile, Agusthinus recently completed a Teaching Profession Education (PPG) programme and obtained certification. With this qualification, he will receive Rp 2 million salary. He emphasised that this increase resulted from his own efforts. “This is not an achievement from the Regent. I took the teaching profession examination and recently passed to become a Professional Teaching Graduate (Spd GR), which is why I will receive Rp 2 million—not through the Regent’s efforts. My status remains as a casual teacher,” he concluded.
Separately, Kupang Regent Yosef Lede claimed the matter had been resolved. “It is resolved; we recently met with him,” said Yosef in Kupang.