Upah Upil Kerja Terampil

UPAH UPIL KERJA TERAMPIL

By: Dwi Rahayu

Female Student of Chemistry Education

FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHER TRAINING

UIN SUNAN KALIJAGA

Becoming a teacher is not a glamorous career choice, but it is a noble one. As teachers we can shape the future and influence the lives of hundreds of students over many years. By becoming a teacher, we can be a role model and help our students develop the talents and potential they have. Being a teacher allows us to keep learning and growing along with the development of the world. Every day in the classroom brings new experiences, as we meet and interact with children who are full of spirit and energy. A career as a teacher is very enjoyable and satisfying, when we see our students achieve success and realise their dreams. Being a teacher is an extraordinary career choice; we can make an impact and change the lives of many people. For example, we teach a child who cannot read to become able to read, one who cannot write to become able to write, and so on.

Teachers have an extraordinary opportunity to shape the minds and lives of future generations; teachers can help discover the talents and interests their students have, build self-confidence and life skills, and inspire them to dream big. No job is as satisfying as knowing that we can make a positive difference in the lives of others. Unfortunately, great teachers often rarely receive the appreciation and pay they deserve, even though they play a very important role in shaping the next generation and the future of the nation. Teachers are responsible for educating future generations and preparing students for their future. Teachers must plan the curriculum, prepare teaching materials, guide students, assess learning outcomes, and sometimes even have to deal with students' parents.

 As quoted from Tribun solo.com , a teacher was sued by a student's parents merely for punishing the child because he did not want to join the congregational noon prayer. From this case we can see that teachers are very often belittled and looked down upon. Take another case, such as a teacher who was attacked with a machete by a student merely for giving a low grade, even though the teacher was only delivering and imparting knowledge. Students who are hard to advise: when given understanding gently they do not listen, when given understanding firmly they are accused of shouting, and they report the teacher to the authorities even though the student is the one at fault. Why is the quality of human resources so low nowadays, with bad attitude and disrespect towards teachers? They are arbitrary and want to win on their own without considering the teacher's situation. In such an incident, a teacher's professionalism is tested.

Teacher professionalism is much needed in learning, because without the active involvement of teachers, education will decline sharply. Therefore, a teacher must be equipped with several requirements, both academic and non-academic, as well as a code of ethics that needs to be applied in the way they teach. The purpose of applying a code of ethics is to ensure that professional duties can be carried out well and that stakeholders can be well protected. Teachers must be honest about their profession, be able to create a comfortable learning atmosphere to support the success of learning, and maintain good relations with students' parents and the community to foster shared roles and responsibilities in education. Their task is not light, but the pay they receive is far from decent.

Teachers' salaries are inversely proportional to the tasks they carry out. Honorary teachers often have a lower employment status than other educators, because they have no social benefits and do not receive equal rights. Honorary teachers' salaries are only 300 thousand rupiah per month, which is a problem that has not been resolved. Unequal distribution of pay has a negative impact on the economics of education and on society as a whole. The low welfare of teachers can affect the quality of education due to a lack of motivation, not to mention the effect on teachers' enthusiasm for teaching because their salaries are insufficient, and social disparity often arises between honorary teachers and permanent teachers. The lack of order in the economic system is caused by several factors, namely limited available budgets. Education requires larger funds to build infrastructure, provide resources, and pay educators' salaries.

The main duties of a professional teacher are to educate, teach, orient, and evaluate every learner. Therefore, a teacher's duties encompass all of their time, energy and thought. However, a teacher's dedication seems not to be commensurate with teachers' welfare, which is still low. Salary has a significant influence on teachers' motivation and teaching skills. Teachers' salaries need to be raised because this has a positive impact on the quality of education and teachers' performance. The government or institutions should therefore care more or take various actions to increase teachers' salaries, such as teacher certification, increasing the education budget, giving awards and appreciation to teachers, and improving teacher competence. With these solutions, it is hoped that teachers' welfare and the quality of education can be improved. However, these efforts cannot possibly succeed alone without support from individuals, schools, society and the government.

Teachers' welfare deserves to be fought for, because teachers are the spearhead of the future. As a developing country, Indonesia still has many challenges in improving teachers' welfare. The government is increasingly aware of the need to give teachers better compensation. By increasing the education budget, it is hoped that this effort will continue to be developed in the future. Education in Indonesia is getting brighter, and more and more parents are aware of quality education for their children. This encourages higher demand for competent teachers, which in turn can drive increases in salaries and allowances. Furthermore, technology increasingly makes it easier for teachers to develop themselves and collaborate. Online platforms enable teachers to exchange experiences and new ideas. This can improve the quality of teaching and open opportunities for teachers to become more productive.

We must always be optimistic that teachers' welfare will continue to improve in the future. With the support of various parties, the heroes of education will be increasingly appreciated and supported to produce a smart and characterful next generation for the nation. So, all of us need to support teachers. They are the ones who prepare our young generation for the future. We need to ensure that our teachers receive rewards and appreciation befitting their important role in the world of education. Teachers are the key to our children's future. Let us move together to improve the welfare of our teachers. Do something meaningful, whatever it may be, to appreciate the great teachers in Indonesia. They are very valuable and deserve the best from us, because whatever they give will come back to us.