Half Of All Teachers In Indonesia Are Dual-employed, What Causes This?

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Teachers are a very noble profession because they bear the responsibility of advancing education in an area, their services wil not be replaced for all the time.

His job is to teach, facilitate, direct, and foster his students to become better individuals. The main task of course must be to focus on students, prepare learning materials, evaluate teaching and learning activities (KBM), and or create effective learning methods for the students they teach and contribute to the life around them. That way, the focus is on the school and the teacher's family.

However, in Indonesia, there is a fact that many teachers have professions other than teaching. According to a survey conducted by (IDEAS) Institute for Demographic and Poverty Studies and Dompet Dhuafa, 55.8% of the total 403 votes, admitted to having a side job besides being a teacher.

Some became tutors or tutoring teachers (39.1%), earning money until staying up late (29.3%), farmers (12.8%), laborers (4.4%), content creators (4%), and online motorcycle taxi drivers (3.1%).

All of these side jobs are done to supplement teachers' income. The same survey shows that 89% of teachers believe that their salaries from teaching are still too low to survive. Only 20% of teachers still receive a salary of less than IDR 500,000 per month. Of course, this salary will not fulfill the teacher's daily needs.

Teachers are also human beings, who certainly have their own needs. Do not just because they choose or accidentally enter the world of education, and have an unsung hero label that makes them get improper treatment. A small salary for a big task is certainly very unreasonable. No wonder, teachers prefer to look for side jobs to survive.

Then if this is the case who will be blamed? Are they to blame for choosing to become a teacher? Of course not. Actually, there is no need to blame each other, as long as we can find a solution to this problem. Those who have power and who make policies can use their power to better consider the use of their budget. Because the needs of life with the duties imposed certainly cannot be heavy on one side.