Indonesian teachers want more allowances

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Teachers Union urged the government yesterday to do more toward improving the welfare of its more than one million members.

Union chairman Basyuni Suriamiharja said the government should offer more allowances to elementary and high school teachers.

The level of government allowances offered to elementary and high school teachers was "very low" compared to that extended to university lecturers, Basyuni said.

The proposal was one of the results of the union's conference in Jakarta that took place on July 21 to 23.

"We hope the government will improve our welfare by giving us a functional allowance as received by the lecturers," Basyuni told journalists.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, elementary and high school teachers numbered 1.4 million in 1995. They comprised the bulk of 4 million civil servants throughout Indonesia.

Lecturers receive special allowances apart from their basic salary. Many teachers have to moonlight to make ends meet.

There have been regular reports of teachers complaining about money being deducted from their small salaries, legally or otherwise, by government officials for purposes such as mandatory contribution to the Civil Servant Corps.

Observers agree teaching is not a financially rewarding profession in Indonesia although the government always describes them as "heroes without merit".

A recent study by Arismunandar, the lecturer of Ujungpandang Institute of Teaching Training, shows that many teachers especially primary school teachers suffer from depression.

Basyuni said that more allowances for teachers were needed to improve their performance.

The just-ended conference also reaffirmed teachers' determination to make the state sponsored, nine-year compulsory education program a success.

The government program was launched in 1994 to encourage all children to attend school. The program was an extension of the successful six-year, compulsory education program.

The government hopes its compulsory education goal can be achieved before the end of the seventh Five-Year Development Plan in 2004.

"We teachers will do our best to support the program", Basyuni said.

In a statement, the conference organizers said it was happy with the results of the May 29 general elections but expressed concern over the riots and fatalities.

The teachers' union supports the ruling party, Golkar. Basyuni is a member of the House of Representatives from Golkar. (06)