REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAYAPURA -- The central government has committed to increase the number of teachers from elementary to high school level and also in vocational schools in Papua, noted Indonesia's Minister of Education and Culture, Mohammad Nuh.

"It has become a commitment of the central and local government to add and meet the needs of school teachers," Mohammad Nuh stated in Jayapura on Tuesday.

Minister Nuh visited Papua to launch the implementation of Curriculum 2013 and to also dole out the hand book for elementary, junior high, senior high, and vocational schools in the province.

According to Head of Papua Education and Culture Department Elias Wonda, the lack of teachers had hindered the implementation of Curriculum 2013.

Therefore, Elias urged the local government of Papua to proactively use 30 percent of the special autonomic funds for education, one of which can be used for the Curriculum 2013 training.

Based on data furnished by the Papua Education and Culture Department, 26,923 teachers from elementary to senior high level and vocational schools were assigned in 28 districts and one city.

Out of the total assigned teaching force, 16,094 teachers have attended the Curriculum 2013's training, but the actual number of formal skilled teachers was only 37 percent of the total, or five to six thousand persons.

In a bid to tackle the issue, Nuh proposed temporary and permanent solutions to fulfill the lack of teachers.

The temporary solution can be enacted by sending teachers through the Outermost and Disadvantaged Areas School Teaching Program (SM3T) every year.

Thereafter, the permanent solution can be achieved by sending SM3T alumni to the Center of Teacher Profession Education and Training (PLPG), and after graduating, they can work in the place where they used to teach during the SM3T program.

Nuh emphasized that in order to support the programs, the Education and Culture Ministry had cooperated with the Administrative Reforms Ministry to prioritize the civil teachers' allocation based on the origin where they served as SM3T teachers.

However, the programs will take time to yield results. Hence, Minister Nuh assured that through the scheme, they can fulfill the shortage in teaching staff in Papua and other provinces.

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