Department of Education Asks PT to supply students

JAKARTA-The government’s effort to pump up vocational schools is not accompanied by an addition in teachers. This results in the fact that SMKs all over Indonesia are lacking around 100 thousand teachers. If the problem is not quickly resolved, the quality of vocational schools might decrease.

Therefore, Director of SMK Development Joko Sutrisno invites leaders of universities to the Department yesterday (19/1). The objective was so that universities are willing to supply their students who are participating in KKN to teach at vocational schools in various areas.

Based on the results of the meeting, 500 students from various universities are willing to teach at SMK. They are origin from state as well as private universities. Among others Universitas Negeri Padang, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Jogjakarta, Umka Widya Karya Malang, Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ), Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), and Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPl).

Joko explained that at the moment, the total number of teachers owned by all vocational schools in Indonesia reaches 200,000 people. With this number, the ratio between teacher and student is 1:40. Ideally it is 1:30. To reach this target, 300,000 teachers are still needed. “Therefore, we sill keep on striving for this. Besides recruiting teachers, we also cooperate with universities,” he says.

In his opinion, the government cannot just rely on the appointing of PNS. One way is to cooperate with KKN students. “KKN students do not have to constantly teach in remote areas. As long as they have teaching competency, they can educate at SMKs,” he said.

Nonetheless, their teaching time is short namely five months. “However, if it is done continually, this will help. For example, if the time is up, they are immediately replaced by other students for the next five months,” he explains.

The lack of teacher happens because the development of SMK is accelerating. This addition all over Indonesia is meant to attract students to choose vocational schools. The government has the goal to invert the ratio of SMK and SMA students.