'Teachers should upgrade quality'

'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