Preserving the dignity of schools and teachers

Preserving the dignity of schools and teachers

By Mochtar Buchori

JAKARTA (JP): Judging from the way he told me the story, my
driver must be really upset. His second son was accepted at an
elementary school where his elder son has been a pupil for two
years. Now textbooks have to be purchased for this younger son.

According to him, these books are exactly the same as the ones
used by his elder son except for the cover. What he does not
understand is why his younger son cannot use the books used
previously by his elder brother.

These books are still in very good condition and the contents
are exactly the same. Why does he have to buy new ones? He asked
the teacher for an explanation and the answer was very simple:
That is the rule. He was also told that if he was unwilling to
follow the rule, he could take his son to another school. He was
really hurt by this answer.

My daughter has the same trouble. Everything that her son
needs as a first grader must be purchased through the teacher at
school. And the price of every item is in general almost twice as
expensive as on the free market. She went to the principal and
demanded an explanation. He answered, "Please understand my
position, Ibu! I am just following orders from above. I am
ashamed myself that such a thing occurs at my school. But there
is really nothing I can do about it. I am sorry!"

From my other two daughters I heard the same story. I conclude
that this practice must be common in certain types of schools.
Reflecting on this situation, I feel deeply distressed about the
general condition of our schools and especially about the
condition of our teachers. At the same time, I also realize that
the Indonesian school system has been undergoing a long
transformation process that we have had no control over.

The image of the old school as an institution imbued with
dignity, where no one can fool around, is still quite vivid in my
mind. I still remember the days when a principal could punish the
son of a prime minister for a violation of a school regulation
without fear of being sacked. I still remember the days when a
teacher refused to accept his salary because it was deducted by a
certain amount without his consent. He did this for months until
finally the principal acknowledged his mistake and apologized.

It is hard to imagine the presence of such principal or such a
teacher within our present schools. How can a teacher inspire awe
and respect in students and parents if he or she has to take part
in a practice considered by most parents as unworthy?

The critical question is whether we can really afford to have
schools where teachers cannot nurture trustworthy and dignified
relationships vis-a-vis the students and parents. Without trust
and dignity I think it is impossible for any teacher to
effectively build the character of students.

What can be done to restore the dignity of schools and
teachers? Stop using schools and teachers as instruments to carry
out mean and illicit policies which benefit only a few characters
within the educational bureaucracy, but inflict tremendous damage
on the schools and society.

Let us hope that this kind of practice will be terminated very
soon and that all schools will have an equal opportunity to
blossom into institutions that teachers, students, and parents
can be proud of.

The writer is rector of Muhammadiyah University, Jakarta.