Gov’t to Hire 1 Million Contract Teachers: Education Minister

Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim. Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat.

The Government will provide one million positions of contract-based government employees (PPPK) for contract teachers of all ages, according to Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim.

“We provide fair opportunities for all contract teachers to become government employees through the PPPK scheme. The contract teachers no longer have to wait to become the government employees and there is no age limit to participate in the selection,” the Minister said during a discussion with school members at the Sorong Regency Special School (SLBN), West Papua Province, Wednesday (10/02).

According to Nadiem, the contract-based government employees and civil servants (PNS) are part of state civil apparatus (ASN) based on the mandate of Law Number 5 of 2014.

The Minister underscored that in a bid to maintain the quality of teachers, the recruitment of the government employees must be based on selection process, not based on recommendations or period of teaching. “The law does not allow us to appoint employees without selection,” Nadiem said.

The contract teachers who have not passed this year’s selection are given the opportunity to take the PPPK test up to three times, and the Ministry’s Directorate General of Teachers and Education Personnel will prepare learning materials so that the teachers can learn for the test.

On that occasion, the Minister also said that starting in 2021, the amount of the Regular School Operational Assistance Fund (BOS) will be varied among the regions. The Fund will be adjusted to a number of determining factors in line with the situation of each region.

“The adjustment of the amount of the Fund aims to support the acceleration of education in schools located in the outermost, frontier, and disadvantaged areas,” he said.

By applying the new regulation, the Minister added, Sorong Regency will get an increase in the assistance fund of more than 30 percent.

The Minister further said that the policy is a continuation of the transformation of education financing carried out by Ministry of Education and Culture and is part of priority programs in 2021. (Public Relations of Ministry of Education/UN) (RI/MMB)