For Children's Future, Mukomuko DPRD Supports Regency Government To Maintain Honorary Staff

Chairman of the DPRD Mukomuko Ali Saftaini/Via ANTARA

MUKOMUKO - The DPRD of Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu Province, stated that it supports the local government's policy to retain all honorary teaching and non-educational staff from elementary school to junior high school in this area.

"We institutionally support the regency government, moreover they have formed a team and have carried out an assessment. We submit it to the regional government with the consideration that this region lacks teachers," said Mukomuko Regency DPRD chairman Ali Saftaini in Mukomuko, Antara, Wednesday, July 13.

He said this was in response to the results of a working meeting with the local government regarding solutions to overcome the shortage of teachers in elementary and junior high schools with the local Education and Culture Office.

The local government maintains honorary staff for educators and non-educational elementary school to junior high school levels in this area with the consideration that before the assessment alone this area lacks 190 people.

"Previously this regional assessment lacked 100 elementary level education staff and 90 junior high school education personnel," he said.

He said, it is possible that later education staff will have double jobs or work other than regional honorary staff who will also work as village officials or assistants for social assistance and inactive honorary staff.

Whatever the proposed budget requirement for regional honorary salaries, the agency will consider it and the General Policy on the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (KUA) and the Provisional Budget Priority and Ceiling (PPAS) have been included.

"We have included it, and we have considered the government's proposal. And there is no need for an assessment to improve the ability of our students," he also said.

Acting Regional Secretary Mukomuko Yandaryat said the local government would increase the budget for the salaries of honorary educators and non-educational staff from elementary to junior high schools in this area.

"The budget for regional honorary salaries is around Rp. 1.3 billion to Rp. 1.5 billion. This budget is for honorary salaries for the next six months," he said.

Meanwhile, the local government previously planned to lay off as many as 333 of the 783 regional employees with work agreements or honorariums for elementary and non-educational educators, due to the reduced budget for paying salaries sourced from the 2022 APBD.

A total of 702 educators and junior high school education staff. Of the 702 people, 422 were civil servants and government employees with work agreements (PPPK), as well as 280 regional honorary workers.

However, starting in July 2022, this area has only prepared a budget to pay 150 honorary workers, and 130 honorary workers have not been budgeted for.

Then as many as 1,304 teachers and administrative staff at the elementary level, as many as 832 with less status as PNS and PPK, and 472 people with regional honorary status.

Of the 472 honorary workers, 162 were laid off because there was no budget available to pay the salaries of these honorary workers.

"However, it is not possible to dismiss as many as 172 honorary workers at the elementary level. If the termination is carried out, it is clear that we highly doubt the quality of children's education," he said.