W. Sumatra needs 2,333 teachers

PADANG, West Sumatra: Well-known for its teachers colleges, the province badly needs 2,333 junior and senior high school teachers.

Azwar Siri, chief of the administrative section of the provincial education and culture ministry, said yesterday that the government is financially unable to fill all the positions.

To cope with the problem, high schools have extended full-time teachers' working hours from 18 hours to 24 hours a week, the official said.

The teachers each get paid Rp 1,000 (42 U.S. cents) an hour in overtime, he said. "The pay is unquestionably low, but remember that being a teacher is not only about making money, it is also a social service," Azwar told The Jakarta Post.

West Sumatra has 411 regular junior high schools and 162 senior high schools as well as 86 vocational training schools throughout the province. (01/pan)