Teachers to get 300% hike in allowance
Teachers to get 300% hike in allowance
JAKARTA (JP): Teachers will receive a total of 300 percent
hike in their allowance starting January next year amid calls for
a better salary system for educators, an official said on
Wednesday.
"We realize that the Ministry of National Education cannot
afford to raise teachers' basic salaries since our estimated
budget for next year is only Rp 11.3 trillion (US$1.1 billion) or
about 3.8 percent of the state budget," director general of
primary and secondary education Indra Djati Sidi told the media.
"But, we will keep our promise to raise teachers' allowances,"
he said, revealing that the first 150 percent raise in the
allowance was given in April 2000 and the next 150 percent raise
will be effective early next year.
The monthly functional allowance to second (II) echelon
teachers are being raised from Rp 45,000 to Rp 180,000; third
(III) echelon teachers from Rp 55,000 to Rp 220,000 and fourth
echelon teachers from Rp 70,000 to Rp 280,000.
"The allowance also includes several fees. We are also
planning to raise the fee for extra-hour teaching from only Rp
1,000 per hour to Rp 10,000 per hour," he added.
Teachers' low incomes and poor standards of living as well as
constant government manipulation such as pooling them for
electoral ballots during the past regimes, culminated into a
massive demonstration demanding for better welfare in May this
year.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI) M.
Surya urged on Wednesday for a better salary system for teachers,
especially in the upcoming regional autonomy.
"A clear promotion and grading system must be set for these
teachers. We want fair judgment and appraisal. Teachers must be
rewarded for their efforts.. and so far the rewards are still far
too small," Surya said in a meeting with PGRI teachers from South
Jakarta, ahead of the Teachers Day commemoration and the 55th
anniversary of PGRI which falls on Saturday.
Surya further noted that decentralization process must be used
as an opportunity to cut down on bureaucracy that have been
reducing teachers' salaries for dozens of years.
He cited a recent Supreme Audit Body (BPK) report which stated
that at least Rp 84 billion of teachers' salaries in Jakarta had
"disappeared" in the past years.
"This chronic condition must be stopped.
"I also suggest that in a bid to improve the teaching
profession, teachers must have at least a graduate degree (S1) to
teach in junior and senior high schools and a minimum D-2 diploma
for elementary schools," Surya added.
The commemoration of Teachers Day on Saturday will be held at
the Presidential Palace and will be officiated by President
Abdurrahman Wahid, accompanied by first lady Sinta Nuriyah and
Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri. (edt)