Rural areas need more teachers

BENGKULU, Sumatra: The head of the local office of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Idrus Mauma, says he cannot accept requests from teachers who work in isolated areas that they be moved to urban centers because the villages need them.

Idrus said that the teachers' request was illogical because some schools in rural areas were still badly in need of teachers while the towns already had an abundance of teachers.

Most of the 1,316 elementary schools in this province are located in the villages and 73 of them lack teachers.

"We need 1,500 more teachers, especially in the fields of religion an sports," he said, as quoted by Antara.

Idrus added there were only 11,500 teachers working in this province and that was not enough.

"On many occasions a teacher has to handle three or four classes at the same time", Idrus said. (03)