Evaluating teachers

Evaluating teachers

From Media Indonesia

I watched part of the AN-teve talk show hosted by Eko Syahrudin who interviewed Prof. Sarjono Jatiman and Prof. Achmady. At the end of the discussion, it was said the education sector should be capable of forming students who are ready to take on professional responsibility in the widest sense. It was also mentioned that the lack of development in education is the teachers' curbing of the students. Consequently, the freedom of students to develop their creativity has been impeded.

I think there is no teacher who thinks that he is the smartest, the most intelligent in the school. The opinion mentioned above is very naive. In reality, a teacher should always allow their students to ask about matters still unclear to them. Often the teacher gives additional tuition to clarify problems.

I would like to ask Prof. Sarjono and Prof. Achmady how far they have researched the capacity and class attitude of teachers so as to reveal to the public their conclusions regarding teachers' feebleness in transfering knowledge to students and teachers' authoritarian attitude which curbs students' creativity.

I humbly look forward to their response. I am proud to be a teacher though only in a grade school. There is no denying the limitations of teachers. After all, they are only human.

In my opinion, the professors' conclusion is exaggerated and needs to be rethought. Even if the evaluation is meant to be constructive, is the pettiness among teachers that critical? Anyway, it will not slacken our enthusiasm to take an active part in education.

R. BUYUNG SOHUTIHON

Jakarta