Madrasah teachers complain of low salaries
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Some 1,772 madrasah (Muslim school) teachers employed on a noncontractual basis in Tangerang complained that the city administration had given no attention to the fact that they received a very low salary.
Casual teachers of 96 Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (Muslim elementary schools), 45 Madrasah Tsanawiyah (Muslim junior high schools) and 32 Madrasah Aliyah (Muslim senior high schools) only receive an average of about Rp 150,000 (US$15) per month, far below the monthly minimum wage of Rp 426,250 in Greater Jakarta.
Maswandi, 34, who has been teaching at a private Madrasah Ibtidaiyah on Jl. Maulana Hasanuddin in Cipondoh district of Tangerang for five years, noted that he only received Rp 80,000 per month from the school. To make ends meet, he moonlighted as a motorcycle taxi driver.
"Fortunately, I can use my old motorcycle as a taxi. After school, I can ngojek (take passengers on his motorcycle) until evening. My salary as a teacher is just not enough to support my family," he told The Jakarta Post here last week.
He said that his salary as a casual teacher was only about one-tenth of that earned by state teachers.
"At the Islamic school, teachers are paid Rp 3,500 per hour. We can teach for 10 hours, on average, within a week. In a month, we teach for 40 hours on average. So, we only get Rp 140,000 every month," a teacher, who asked not to be identified, also told The Post.
The 40-year old teacher, who has been teaching for three years at a Madrasah Tsanawiyah on Jl. KH. Hasyim Asyari, said that he had not decided whether to get married yet because he was not sure if he would be able to support a wife and family on such a low salary.
Separately, Romdony, the secretary of Communication Forum for Casual Madrasah Teachers in Tangerang, said the forum had presented a proposal early this month to the Tangerang Administration for an additional incentive for the teachers.
He said that casual teachers at state schools received a monthly incentive of Rp 75,000 from the Ministry of National Education.
The 28-year-old father of a two-year-old daughter, who has been teaching for eight years at Buaran State Madrasah Ibtidaiyah in Babakan, Tangerang, confirmed that he also received a salary of Rp 150,000 per month, which he claimed was only enough to cover transportation expenses.
"Fortunately my wife Halimah Sadiah also works. To meet my family's daily needs, I also teach at Cikokol state elementary school and earn another Rp 150,000 per month," he told The Post last week.
Romdoni, who can only afford to rent a simple house for Rp 160,000 per month, also moonlights as a book supplier for four schools in Tangerang. He could gain Rp 1 million from the book sales each quarter.
In addition, he also has two private students, whose parents pay him Rp 75,000 each per month.
"We, madrasah teachers are just like state school teachers who are dedicated to the future of children in Tangerang, therefore we expect the administration to pay attention to us," he said.
In contrast to madrasah school teachers' poor wages, local councillors who enjoy a monthly salary of Rp 12 million seem unconcerned about improving the teachers' welfare.
Tangerang Council's Deputy Chairman, Burhanudin, said that the budget allocation for the teachers' incentives was dependent on Tangerang's local revenue, which he said had been allocated for other purposes.
"But when the councillors demanded an additional allowance recently they were very brazen and they never related it to local revenue," Nursaiyah, 25, a teacher of Cikokol state elementary school remarked.