Kindergarten teachers go on strike

SINGKAWANG, West Kalimantan: All 13 teachers at Masjid Agung Kindergarten in Singkawang regency went on strike on Wednesday to protest poor management by the school and demanded that their salaries be increased.

The teachers also demanded that the kindergarten principal be dismissed.

The teachers' strike brought all classes to a halt because the pupils refused to accept being taught by substitute teachers unfamiliar to them. This made parents uneasy.

"Damage to the school building has yet to be repaired since four years ago," one teacher said.

"Can you imagine. We get only between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000 per month after working here for four years," another teacher, Martini, said.

The kindergarten, managed by Yayasan TK Masjid Agung foundation, has 229 pupils. The pupils pay between Rp 17,500 and Rp 22,500 tuition per month.

The teachers said that the kindergarten principal was not straightforward and lacked professionalism.