Lifting The Biggest Honorary Teacher In History, Observer Unloads Nadiem Makarim's Services

JAKARTA Every year, November is an important moment of a series of commemoration of national teacher's day. Among the issues that continue to emerge are related to the welfare of teachers.

Regarding this problem, Nadiem Anwar Makarim's leadership period as Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbudristek) in 2019-2024 was considered a period of improving welfare for nearly one million honorary teachers who had been neglected for decades. Through the recruitment of Government Employees with Work Agreements (PPPK), honorary teachers who previously only received a salary of around Rp. 200 thousand per month could enjoy salaries and allowances equivalent to civil servant teachers (PNS).

Education Observer and Teacher at the LSPR Communication and Business Institute Ari S. Widodo stated that the certainty of the status of PPPK is an important step in improving the welfare of honorary teachers.

"At least there is better certainty for honorary teachers who are often reported that their condition is often very concerning. I personally see him (Nadiem Makarim) caring about improving the welfare of teachers," Ari told the media, Tuesday, November 11.

For information, the appointment of honorary teachers is a direct reaction to the welfare conditions of teaching staff who are often below the eligibility line, especially in remote areas. Nadiem while serving as Minister of Education and Culture targets 1 million honorary teachers to be appointed as civil servants through the PPPK Program. The massive recruitment was carried out to fill the shortage of 1.2 million teachers in public schools throughout Indonesia in line with the retired recruitment moratorium and civil servants.

Based on data from the Ministry of Education and Culture, during 2021-2023, 774,999 or 61% of the target of 1 million honorary teachers have been appointed as PPPK. The number of honorary teachers is the largest in the history of education in Indonesia. In 2024, Nadiem will also continue the selection to fill 175,529 formations of PPPK teachers proposed by the local government.

The amount of salary and allowance for PPPK is regulated through Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 11 of 2024, which is a change to Presidential Decree Number 98 of 2020. The lowest monthly salary range for PPPK starts from Group I amounting to Rp1,938,500 to Rp2,900,900. Meanwhile, the highest salary is in the XVII Group, which is Rp4,462,500 to Rp7,329,000.

PPPK teachers who meet the requirements are also given a scaled salary increase every two years. In addition, PPPK teachers who get very good grades are given Special Salaries. Not only that, PPPK teacher allowances are also the same as civil servant teachers which include family allowances, food allowances, structural position allowances, functional job allowances, and other allowances.

Ari emphasized that the appointment of honorary teachers to become PPPK was a significant achievement in the field of education. However, data on the appointment of honorary teachers to PPPK also reveals another side. Ari admitted that he was still very concerned because the policy actually showed that the struggle in making a good Indonesian education system, including for teachers, still needed a long journey.

"I am also sure that when Nadiem took office, one of the things that thought of him was the complexity of educational problems in Indonesia," Ari explained. One example is the application of a curriculum that has not been followed by adequate teacher capacity. The changes he does are felt but the impact will be relative. Why is that? Because of the problems faced by super complexes, "concluded Ari.