Who says being a teacher is easy

Yogyakarta (Kompas: 04/12/06) Many consider teacher is a second-class profession. Not many people want to be a teacher unless they do not have any other choice or being jobless. There is an impression that any university graduate could be a teacher if the person wants to. The work is easy: going to work in the morning, teaching and come home in the afternoon.
Being a teacher is considered as an easy work. Many people forget that teacher play an important role in education process. Even though a teacher is not the sole factor that determine the success of education; yet, teacher is still the main hub in education process. Without teachers, education process will limp.
The introduction of Teachers and Lecturers Law has brought fresh air for teacher’s profession. The law will become a legal umbrella; it is also represent the government’s recognition for teachers’ profession. The law will hopefully nurture appreciation for teachers; and teachers’ profession could hopefully be in line with other professions, and it could encourage teachers’ quality development, and eventually boosts the education quality improvement in the country.
At least, the introduction of the Law on Teachers and Lecturers makes teachers’ profession becomes more attractive, especially as the law promises a better welfare in the form of monthly allowance amounting one month salary and functional allowance. However, the Law on Teachers and Lecturers also brings some quite difficult consequences for teachers. One the one hand, this law promises welfare for teachers; on the other hand, it also demands many requirements from teachers.
Before enjoying the monthly allowance whose amount is equal to a monthly salary and functional allowance totaling Rp 500.000 per month, a teacher has to meet several requirements: academic qualification of S1 or D-IV, holding education certificate acquired through professional training and a series of competency tests. Those requirements seemed normal; it is like wise for requirements of other profession. However it is different when we are talking about teachers’ profession in this country. Related to the current condition of teachers in the country, those requirements are quite big challenges.
1.8 million out of 2.7 million teachers in this country has not met the academic qualification of S1 degree. In the secondary school level, it is not so bad; 62.08 % of secondary school teachers hold S1 degree. However, in basic education level, mainly elementary school, the situation is much worse. Only 8.3 percent out of 1.3 million elementary school teachers have met the S1 qualification. The government’s program to make elementary school teachers hold the D2 have took over ten years and the result was only 40%. Most elementary school teachers only hold D-1 degree or less.
In order to meet the academic requirement of S1 some 1.8 million teachers have to go back to school; while the Law on Teachers and Lecturers only gave up to 10 years to fulfill the requirement. Is it feasible? Where do the funds come from? Will the government manage to cover the expenses?
If teachers have to pay for their education, it seems difficult to realize due to their current living condition. Moreover, we should take into consideration the limitations of Teachers’ Training Institute (LPTK) to accommodate teachers who want to pursue higher education to obtain the S1 degree. It is almost certain that many teachers would not be able to catch up. Which means in 10 years from now there would be many teachers who has not meet the S-1 qualification. Such a situation will create a tight competition among teachers. Teachers have to compete against each other if they want to survive being a teacher.
If the S1 qualification has been fulfilled, dopes it means that the problem is over? Actually the S1 academic requirement is not enough, teachers have to attend education certificate. How difficult it is for teachers only to get an extra income of professional allowance amounting one month basic salary and functional allowance of Rp 500,000. So, who said being a teacher is easy?
We should bear in mind, holding S1 academic qualification, holding education certificate, or passing competency tests do not guarantee that a teachers is of a good quality and is qualified to become a professional teacher….not to mention if those requirements have been fulfilled using short cut or just formalities.
The S1 academic qualification was only a formal legal requirement that a teacher must fulfill. In reality, teachers’ quality depend on their professionalism and their devotion towards the profession, when they are in front of the classrooms with their students and serving them. Teaching and educating, humanizing young human beings. This is far more difficult to fulfill and it becomes a never-ending challenges for a teacher.
The dynamics of education in Indonesia is very instable; it requires teachers to be more flexible, adaptive and able to move fast. Education curriculum that could change anytime is an example to illustrate this situation. It is likewise with the national examination, which is never clear at the beginning of a new academic year, maybe it will be organized or maybe not, with the criteria and standards that change all the time and we only know exactly only a few months before the examination. Facing such a situation, where teachers often become an object of education policies, it needs endurance, patience, adaptation, and it is not an easy task.
Many requirements
Teachers are always asked to catch up with the development. The development also requires teachers to adapt in the education process. Previously, teachers’ role was emphasized on the creation of vision, knowledge and skills needed in this industrial era, teachers role now has to be the learning facilitator which has become requirement in this age of information
Those changes do not make teachers’ tasks and responsibilities become easier because teachers still have the responsibility in creating knowledge, skills and stances from the ongoing learning process, and responsibility to participate in the effort to achieve the objective of education as a whole.
Consequently, teachers have to understand the characteristic and the teaching materials, mastering the concept, understanding the methodology of his/her subject, understanding the context of the subject and its relation with the society, environment and other sciences. Moreover, teachers are also required to know their students’ personality better. Therefore, teachers should be familiar with personal approach, mastering psychology and children development, mastering theories of pedagogy, mastering and capable of developing teaching models.
This requires teachers’ quality and competency improvement, through perpetual self rejuvenation according to the requirement of the development. Moreover, teachers should love their profession. Love is the key for teachers to become professional. Like a boy, in love to a girl, he would be willing to anything for her. If a teacher love his/her profession, love his/her students, no matter how difficult the challenges he is facing — more over it is only low salary and reduced allowance — it would not stop teachers from continuing to humanize young human beings.
In order to love their profession, teachers should look back, thinking why they would become teachers in the first place; purifying the motivation to become teachers. Eradicating all obligation for the past and changes them with the clarity of new vision and mission. Choosing to be a teacher is a moral responsibility, and at the same time a social responsibility which is much more important than being forced to. And, we have to admit, this is not an easy task. It needs a long process.
So, who says being a teacher is easy! Indonesia, appreciate your teachers! That’s the only way to develop education in the country.
HJ Sriyanto, Teacher of De Britto High School Colege in Yogyakarta