Not An Increase In Salaries, Mendikdasmen Affirms Teacher Welfare Is Improved Through Certification Allowances

Minister of Elementary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu'ti took a photo with junior high school (SMP) students after holding a ceremony to commemorate National Teacher's Day 2024/ANTARA

JAKARTA - Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu'ti emphasized that his party will improve the welfare of teachers through providing certification allowances and not through salary increases.

"We want to explain again, because what appears in the news is that we will raise our salaries. Sorry, the Ministry of Education does not have the authority to raise teachers' salaries, the authority rests with other ministries. What we do is improve the welfare of teachers through certification," said Mu'ti as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, November 25.

He explained that his party could improve the welfare of teachers by providing certification allowances after the person concerned was declared to have passed the Teacher Professional Education (PPG) certification.

Mu'ti explained that the nominal allowance will be determined based on the group if the person concerned is a teacher with the status of a State Civil Apparatus (ASN).

His party is currently preparing training for 850 thousand teachers, both ASN and honorary, to be able to participate and graduate in PPG certification in 2025.

Meanwhile, for the current year, the Minister of Education and Culture said there were as many as 606,000 teachers who would receive certification allowances by 2025 and this step had received approval from the DPR.

"Yes, gradually the Red and White Cabinet is not only the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. Of course, everyone wants to be able to improve welfare, hopefully, during the leadership of Mr. President Prabowo, all of these teachers can be certified. Hopefully," added Mu'ti.