Teacher allowances to be doubled

Following approval of the 2003 city budget, the city administration decided on Monday to increase the allowance for 40,000 teachers here by 100 percent from Rp 350,000 to Rp 700,000 a month.

"With an increase in the allowance, we hope the teachers will be more dedicated in their duties," Governor Sutiyoso said at City Hall.

Sutiyoso said the teachers, who are civil servants, would still receive their monthly salaries, according to the regulations, besides the allowances.

He said some 6,000 people, who were still temporary teachers, would be offered contracts to become permanent teachers and would also receive the allowance.

The city budget, which amounted to a total of Rp 11.075 trillion (US$1.2 billion), allocates some Rp 800 billion to the education sector, including teachers' salaries and allowances.

Teachers from elementary schools to senior high schools receive an average monthly salary of Rp 600,000 to Rp 700,000 and an allowance of Rp 350,000 per month.

The same allowance might not be received by all teachers in other areas across the country as the decision to increase it depends on provincial administrations.

Teachers are well-known here for their small salaries and living in a modest way. To cover their daily needs, they often teach at several schools or do part-time jobs.

Separately, chairwoman of? City Council Commission C for financial and budgetary affairs Anna Rudiantianna said details on the allocations of the budget, including teachers' allowances, would be completed this week.

"We still need four days to complete the details of the budget," Anna, of the Golkar Party, said.

She said the budget had been increased to Rp 11.075 trillion, from its earlier total of Rp 11.05 trillion, due to a Rp 25 billion dividend from city-owned Bank DKI.

Besides the dividend, the budget is based mostly on city revenue, with tax income of Rp 4.2 trillion, government sharing revenue of Rp 4.6 trillion and unspent funds from last year's budget of Rp 2.1 trillion. Last year's budget totaled Rp 9.7 trillion. --JP