IKA FATHIN RESTI MARTANTI

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

PAYING TEACHERS MORE

In my opinion, I really agree that teachers should be given higher salaries

because teachers need more incomes to develop competencies and to fulfill their
needs. As a teacher, we have multiple identities. It means that beside working in the
school, teachers are human being who have various individual needs. Especially for
those who have already married and have children. Their individual needs increase
and become more complex. Compared to other professions, teachers’ salary is still
low. In my hometown, Yogyakarta, the salary for non-permanent English teacher in
one of high schools is more or less Rp 500.000,-. Yet in some cases, it depends on the
schools whether it is a state or a private school, and also depends on the payment
offered by the schools. This amount is not considered sufficient to be only the one
income source to meet the needs. That is why many teachers like to find other ways
to find the sources of income. Moreover, teachers who work in a private institution or
work as a part time teacher get little attention in terms of salary. In fact, many
teachers need to have side jobs beside teaching in order to get more money. For
example, by teaching in a private class conducting a business, and many others. This
phenomenon shows that sometimes the teachers’ salary does not meet the needs.

In addition, teacher is a profession which has a significant influence for many

aspects of life, especially in creating a better generation for future. Teachers educate
people, deliver knowledge, and teach about moral values. In this case, teachers need
to be highly appreciated by society, especially teachers who teach in rural or remote
areas. They get difficulties in transportation access and facilities. Therefore, giving
higher payment for teachers can be an appreciation for teachers.
 FREE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Nowadays, university graduates are more likely chosen in job searching

competition. Companies prefer to hire employees who have graduated from
university to those from secondary schools. It also influences the salary so those who
have better qualifications will receive higher salary. However, as we know that
studying in university needs a high amount of money so not everybody has a chance
to do it. Many students who graduate from senior high schools or vocational schools
sometimes do not continue their study because of their finance. Therefore, I agree that
the government should provide free university education. It aims to improve the
education quality in Indonesia. To be able to compete with other countries, the
government should care about this matter. The government should arrange special
budgets for this.

I think that it will be helpful to do so in order to provide more oportunities for

secondary school graduates to continue their studies in the university level, especially
for those who have difficulties in economy. The Ministry of Education should
provide more chances of scholarship for students. Besides, other companies or
organizations also need to cooperate with the university to provide the scholarships.
However, there should be specific requirements regarding to this. Not all students can
apply for the scholarships. Students who have obstacles in economic matters should
be given the priority first.

However, the implementation is not that simple. The government still find
difficulties to collect the fund to create free education for Indonesian students. It is
related to the education system and parties. Many parties still do corruption and this
is the most fundamental problem that is unsolvable until now. The solution is only by
reducing the number of corruption cases so that the budget for education program will
be sufficient.
 SMALLER CLASSES

The class arrangement gives influences to the effectiveness of teaching and

learning process. I am in favor of teaching in smaller classes. Here, I have several
reasons why it is more effective to teach in smaller classes. First, it is easier for
teacher to deliver the learning materials. In a big class (a class which consists of 20 or
more students), the teachers need to speak louder to ensure that students can catch the
explanation. Teachers also need to walk around the class to check whether the
students have understood the materials or not. In many conventional classes, teachers
prefer to sit in front of the class to walking around the class for observing the students
while learning. Some teachers think that it is unnecessary or even tiring to go around
the class. As a result, students feel that they receive little attention from the teacher.
They like to talk to their friends rather than paying attention to the teacher’s
explanation. In small classes, teachers can manage their voice, pace, and technique to
handle the students. Group activities can improve the interactions between the teacher
and the students or among the students.

Second, teachers can pay attention more to every student. Teachers can
observe the students’ progress in learning. Some students may face difficulties in
understanding the materials, but some may understand quickly. Teachers need to
know about that. Teachers can understand their students personally. Teachers need to
keep in touch with the students. Furthermore, students can also talk personally to
their teachers without being shy. When students are learning in small groups, they
have more chances to discuss with their friends and share ideas. Students who get
difficulties in learning can easily ask the teachers to help him/her. It aims to
maximize students’ achievement in learning. For distance learning especially, like
what I experienced this day, it is more effective to conduct the class in small groups.
The teacher will get easier to communicate with each student and pay attention to
them. If it is conducted in a big class, some students in the back may not pay attention
to the teacher.