'Teachers should upgrade quality'

Teachers have a vital role in building the nation although they are poorly paid and their welfare has long been neglected. To commemorate the first-ever Teacher's Day on Nov. 25, The Jakarta Post interviewed two Jakartans about what needed to be done to improve the quality of education.

Elliana Arisanti, 28, is a public relations consultant in South Jakarta. She lives in Cilandak, South Jakarta:

If you want to improve a teacher's professionalism I guess you need to first look into their motivation for becoming a teacher. Is it because of a love of teaching, a dream of nurturing the minds of future generations, or simply because there weren't any other jobs available?

When the answer is love, I doubt that money of any value would affect the quality of the teacher.

But of course you can't ignore teachers' welfare altogether. It's a given that people can focus more on what they love doing when they don't have to worry about their stomachs.

Tatang Mochtar, 35, is a legal officer at a foreign company in Jakarta. He lives with his wife and children in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta:

In this global society, I think we need qualified teachers to teach our children. They should be able to speak English as well as Indonesian so they can convey their lessons in English. With this qualification, the school should pay them highly.

That's why I am not surprised that many schools are now requiring their teachers to be able to teach in English. Many schools are also willing to hire foreign teachers with monthly salaries of thousands of dollars.

If our local teachers do not improve their skills then they will be replaced by foreign teachers not only from developed countries like the U.S. or Australia but also from developing countries like the Philippines, India, or even Malaysia.

-- The Jakarta Post