Teachers of next generation ponder the day's catch

Teachers of next generation ponder the day's catch

By Ida Indhawati Khouw

May 2, yesterday, is National Education Day. With the republic
almost 53 years old, development of national education still lags
behind that of the economy. This has caused a decline in the
quality of education, from elementary school to higher learning
institutes, throughout the country. Following are three articles
on education.

JAKARTA (JP): Educating children today is about preparing them
for the next millennium. But in the Thousand Islands, in North
Jakarta, a teacher wakes up thinking how many fish he might catch
after class.

Here, teachers still live on a wage of barely Rp 3,000 a day,
much less than the earnings of a parking attendant. But then a
parking attendant does not have to be a role model to students
and prepare them for globalization.

When asked whether he thought about upgrading his teaching
skills, Mohammad Dani said he had no time for such
considerations.

"Every day I just teach the students and fish when class is
over," he said while keeping an eye on a neat line of his
students.

The students were standing tall and ready to cheer on Governor
Sutiyoso even though his entourage was still 30 minutes away from
Pramuka Island.

Some 20 elementary, junior high and senior high school
teachers, even those with years of experience, are paid Rp 25,000
per month -- or even less if parents fail to pay the monthly
school fees -- plus a city subsidy of Rp 500 for each hour they
teach.

Dani, who teaches at Pramuka Island -- which has the only
senior high school in the Thousands Islands, complained about the
skyrocketing price of fishing equipment.

A fishing rod which was Rp 400 is now Rp 900, while hooks
which were Rp 50 have soared tenfold, Dani said.

The teachers fish with their students' parents, and are keenly
aware how little they earn, so they understand why fees are paid
late.

"It's a good day now if a fisherman earns Rp 5,000," Dani
said. "(With the jump in food prices), parents are increasingly
putting off paying the monthly Rp 1,500 elementary school fees."

Food prices here are the same as in Tangerang and Jakarta.
Island residents can go a week without vegetables if vendors from
the mainland do not turn up, a local woman said.

No one would be able to guess the plight of teachers judging
from the nice school building, which is in a much better
condition than the many lopsided, on-the-verge-of-collapse
structures in many parts of Greater Jakarta.

The island's senior high school, SMU 69, has the standard
basketball field and other sports equipment including those for
wrestling.

Future

The clean, white uniforms students are wearing concealed any
doubts about their future.

"I don't know whether I can continue my studies, it's up to my
parents," a bashful daughter of a fisherman, who lives in Untung
Jawa Island, said.

Students from other islands live in the school's dormitory and
save time and money on boat trips from home.

The issues of schooling and survival on the island were
spelled out to Governor Sutiyoso, who appeared aghast once he
realized how much teachers were paid.

"It's unbelievable, how can they finance their life with such
pay," he said while his entourage hurried along.

The SMU 69 principal, Bambang Suprapto, asked the governor to
improve the teachers' salaries as most were still paid on a
honorarium basis. He suggested teachers receive an amount equal
to the city subsidy of Rp 160,000.

A minimum monthly wage in the city is now Rp 172,500, but even
the added subsidy would still find teachers dashing off after
class to fish.

Maybe the Governor provided some relief when he said emergency
funds could be allocated for them.

"I have a standby fund which a governor can use anytime he
considers it necessary," he said. "Please tell me if the fund
does not reach you."

With little hope of a pay rise teachers resort to
moonlighting, as do many civil servants or any other lowly paid
employees.

Unlike teachers in other parts of the city, those in the
Thousand Islands lament that their only choice is to join the
fishermen.

Still, Dani thanks his lucky stars.

"I'm still single ... my friends have such a hard time
thinking of how to feed their families on such a small wage."