Safer way of paying teachers

BANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung: More state school teachers in the provinces will be paid by bank transfer, a system which should guarantee that they receive the money intact.

Sri Wardani, an official at Lampung's education and culture office, said 70 schools in the provinces had been selected for the payment system, Antara reported Monday.

The current method, by cash, is vulnerable to loss and theft. Teachers have also complained of endless levies, official or otherwise, being deducted from their salaries.

Wardani said that 10 schools from each of Lampung's seven regencies had been selected for the trial of the new payment method, which will be conducted through the Lampung administration-owned Bank Pembangunan Daerah (BPD).

The trial will start in June, she said.

Post offices would be used in areas where BPD does not have a branch, she added.

A similar arrangement had been made for 30 other state schools in cooperation with Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Antara said. (11)