Nadiem Makarim Affirms Teacher's Duties Are More Heavy Than Ministers In Today's Memory, November 6, 2019

Portrait of teachers in daily teaching activities at school. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA Memories of today, six years ago, November 6, 2019, the Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud), Nadiem Makarim emphasized that being a teacher is heavier than a minister. He considers the task of extraordinary teachers to be difficult because they have to deal with students from various backgrounds.

Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was attracted by Nadiem's work in the business and technology world. This narrative makes Jokowi believe Nadiem can bring change. Jokowi also appointed him as Minister of Education and Culture.

The President has a big role in choosing a professional figure who will sit in the ministerial seat. However, this choice is certainly not easy. Take for example Jokowi. The Indonesian president must spend a lot of time looking for and receiving input from ministerial candidates from all Indonesian people.

He also learned from his first period of government from the 2014-2019 era. Jokowi also became careful in choosing ministers in his new era of power 2020-2024. Recommendations from the minister of culture. Some come from input from political parties. There are also experiments themselves.

This condition was present when Jokowi was predicted to appoint Nadiem Makarim as minister. Nadiem's position as minister is not yet clear in his field. Many people think that Nadiem is suitable to be appointed Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora). However, Jokowi said otherwise.

Instead, he appointed Nadiem to be Minister of Education and Culture on October 23, 2019. The experiment was criticized by many parties. Nadiem is considered never involved in the world of education. He never understood how the development and progress of Indonesian education.

In particular, Jokowi has his own answer. Jokowi considers Nadiem as the right person because he can marry between technology and the world of education. Technological advances in Jokowi's eyes can be the answer so that Indonesian education can develop rapidly.

Nadiem was not afraid of Jokowi's challenges. He is ready for his new position. He tried to learn more about education in Indonesia.

"Imagine managing schools, managing students, managing teacher management as much as that, and being prosecuted by the same standards. We are given the opportunity after there is technology, which is called a system application that can make a leap. So that what used to be deemed impossible is now possible. Therefore, Mas Nadiem Makarim was chosen," said Nadiem as quoted by Sampas.com, October 24, 2019.

Nadiem worked hard to understand the intricacies of Indonesian education. He felt for himself that understanding the world of Indonesian education was not easy. He became aware that the work as a teacher was difficult, not playing.

Nadiem even considers work as a teacher more difficult than being a minister. Nadiem put forward the narrative to Commission X of the DPR in Senayan, Jakarta on November 6, 2019. Teachers in Nadiem's view have a lot of duties. Teachers must educate their families and students from various backgrounds.

Teachers are also required to be able to teach well. This condition makes the role of teachers very large for the development of the nation's next generation of young people. A narrative that makes Nadiem understands that being a teacher is heavier than a minister.

"When talking to teachers, it's suddenly clear that this is one of the most difficult tasks in our country, being a teacher. I can say being a minister may be easier than being a teacher. Imagine all students in class having different socio-economics, having different personalities.

Students have different learning patterns, have different parents, and others. But teachers have to make sure with minimal resources, I make sure the learning happens. So the complexity of the teacher's duties is extraordinary," said Nadiem as quoted on the sitindonews.com page, November 6, 2019.