Why Teachers and Lecturers Deserve Fair Compensation
Indonesia is preparing and progressing towards realising the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, yet amidst this grand ambition, public attention has recently been drawn to various stories from teachers and lecturers sharing the reality of their welfare. Social media is filled with accounts of lecturers who have served for years but receive income that does not yet reflect their competence, responsibilities, or contributions. Teachers, especially those still on honorary status, face similar challenges. This phenomenon is not merely a viral issue but a reflection of a fundamental problem regarding compensation justice for a profession that is the pillar of Indonesia’s human resource development.
This situation is ironic for a country aspiring to have superior human resources while still grappling with the issue of professional recognition. On one hand, the government continues to push for improvements in education quality, innovation, digital transformation, and national competitiveness. On the other hand, a gap persists between the demands for educator professionalism and the compensation system they receive. This paradox needs to be resolved immediately.
From a human resource management perspective, compensation is not just a salary paid every month. Rather, it is a form of organisational recognition for an individual’s contribution and a strategic instrument to retain talent, boost motivation, and drive productivity. Therefore, the main issue is not solely the amount of income, but whether the compensation meets the principles of justice. The Equity Theory proposed by John Stacey Adams explains that a person always compares what they give to the organisation—education, experience, time, competence, and emotional sacrifice—with the rewards received. When there is an imbalance between contribution and recognition, a perception of injustice arises, impacting motivation, organisational commitment, productivity, and even the desire to leave the organisation.
Expectancy theory further explains that individuals will increase their effort when they believe good performance will yield valuable rewards. This applies not only in the industrial sector but also in education. Teachers and lecturers bear responsibilities far beyond teaching activities. They shape the character of the younger generation, develop knowledge, produce research, perform community service, supervise students, and prepare the professional workforce that will drive national development. With such immense responsibilities, the compensation system should reflect the strategic value of the profession. Unfortunately, various realities show that some educators still need to seek additional work to meet their living needs. Many lecturers divide their time between teaching, conducting research, and working outside campus to earn an adequate income. Many teachers experience similar conditions, carrying out their duties with high dedication even though their welfare is not yet fully guaranteed.
If this situation continues, it will be difficult to expect the teaching profession to become the primary choice for the nation’s top graduates to continue serving in this country. Data shows that many of our best talents are working and being utilised by other nations to build their countries. This will bring major problems when our investment in human resources is not enjoyed by this nation. This reality can be described as a human capital investment that fails to generate a return on investment. The quality of education is largely determined by the quality of its educators. Countries with the best education systems in the world generally position the teaching and lecturing profession as prestigious, competitive, and supported by an adequate remuneration system.
Fair compensation allows educators to focus more on improving competence, updating learning methods, producing innovation, and providing quality education services. Conversely, compensation injustice has the potential to reduce the spirit of work, increase burnout, quiet quitting, turnover, and degrade the quality of service and the educational process in the long term. This issue does not only impact individuals but also national competitiveness. Indonesia is currently facing major challenges in increasing workforce productivity, accelerating digital transformation, and building a knowledge-based economy. All these agendas require quality graduates. However, quality graduates can only be produced by educators who also receive proper support and recognition.
From an economic perspective, increasing compensation for teachers and lecturers should not be viewed merely as a budgetary burden. On the contrary, such a policy is a long-term investment in human capital development. Every rupiah invested to improve educator welfare has the potential to yield multiplied benefits through improved learning quality, research productivity, innovation, and graduate quality, which ultimately strengthens national economic competitiveness.