JurnalPost.com Education is often touted as the path to a better life. Through education, individuals are expected to escape poverty, improve their standard of living, and gain broader opportunities. However, behind these high hopes lies a concerning reality, particularly regarding the welfare of contract teachers in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
In several regions across NTT, contract teachers must shoulder significant responsibilities while earning very limited income. Some receive only a few hundred thousand rupiah per month, even as the cost of living continues to rise. Furthermore, the issue of delayed salary payments makes it increasingly difficult for them to meet their daily needs.
This situation raises a fundamental question: how can the state expect quality education if some of its educators are still struggling to meet their most basic needs?
The issue of contract teacher welfare is not merely about low salaries. More importantly, there is an imbalance in the education system that forces some teachers to work with heavy responsibilities without receiving commensurate recognition.
Welfare Inequality from the Perspective of Conflict Theory
From a sociological perspective, the issue of contract teacher welfare can be analyzed through the conflict theory developed by Karl Marx and Ralf Dahrendorf.
Conflict theory posits that in society, there are conflicting interests and power imbalances between those who hold authority and those in weaker positions.
In the context of education, the government and educational institutions have the authority to set policies, manage budgets, and establish employment systems. Meanwhile, contract teachers often have limited space to advocate for their rights and welfare.
In practice, contract teachers perform various duties, ranging from teaching and preparing lesson plans to evaluating student learning outcomes and assisting with school activities. These tasks are essentially no different from the work performed by civil servants (PNS) or government employees with work agreements (PPPK).
However, differences in employment status can create significant gaps in income, social security, and job security.
Even contract teachers who have served for years are not guaranteed the same opportunity to obtain more secure employment status. Many must remain in their positions with limited pay because they lack other employment options.
From the perspective of conflict theory, this situation demonstrates an imbalance in power relations. Contract teachers have the responsibility to provide educational services, but their bargaining position regarding their own welfare remains relatively weak.
As a result, some teachers must seek additional income through farming, trading, or other jobs. While this is understandable as an effort to support their families, if it continues indefinitely, it risks reducing the time and energy that should be dedicated to optimal lesson preparation.
Between Legal Guarantees and the Reality Faced by Teachers
Legally, teacher welfare has actually received attention in legislation.
Article 14, paragraph (1), letter a of Law Number 14 of 2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers states that teachers are entitled to income above the minimum living requirement and social security.
Similar provisions are found in Article 40, paragraph (1) of Law Number 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System, which regulates the rights of educators and education personnel to decent and adequate income and social security.
Both provisions demonstrate that the welfare of educators is not merely a matter of charity, but a right recognized by the state.
Unfortunately, the implementation of these principles still faces various challenges, especially in regions with limited fiscal capacity and difficult geographical conditions.
NTT is an archipelagic region with diverse geographical characteristics. Schools in remote areas face issues with transportation access, limited facilities, and uneven distribution of educators.
Amidst these circumstances, the presence of contract teachers becomes a pillar for the continuity of teaching and learning activities.
The government has indeed implemented various policies for managing non-ASN (non-civil servant) personnel, including the recruitment of PPPK. This policy opens opportunities for contract teachers to gain employment security.
However, its implementation still needs to consider the availability of positions, teacher requirements, selection criteria, and the government's financing capacity.
Policies designed at the national level may not necessarily address all regional issues if they do not consider the local social, economic, and geographical conditions.
Therefore, resolving the issue of contract teachers in NTT requires a more comprehensive approach. It is not enough for the government to simply provide recruitment pathways; it must also ensure the welfare of teachers who continue to perform their duties during the transition period.
Seeking Fair and Sustainable Solutions
The issue of contract teacher welfare cannot be solved merely through political promises or statements of support for education. Concrete policies that can be implemented, monitored, and evaluated periodically are required.
First, strengthening financial support from the central government.
The central government needs to pay greater attention to the funding of educators in regions with limited budgets, particularly in disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas.
One option to consider is strengthening the education budget transfer scheme, with funds specifically directed to support teacher welfare, accompanied by transparent and timely payment mechanisms.
In this way, the welfare of educators would not depend entirely on the financial capacity of individual local governments.
Second, establishing a more decent honorarium standard.
The government needs to consider a minimum honorarium standard for non-ASN teachers by taking into account living needs, regional cost of living, workload, and educational financing capacity.
The NTT Provincial Minimum Wage (UMP) could serve as a reference in formulating such policies, although its implementation would need to be adjusted to the terms of employment and the teacher's status.
The use of the School Operational Assistance (BOSP) fund for honorarium payments must also be carried out transparently in accordance with applicable regulations.
In the 2026 BOSP regulations, honorarium payments from the Regular BOS Fund are limited to a maximum of 20 percent of the allocation for public schools and 40 percent for private schools.
This provision must be followed by evaluations to ensure that schools' ability to pay honorariums remains aligned with operational needs and the quality of learning.
Third, strengthening affirmative policies in PPPK recruitment.
Contract teachers who have served for years, especially in remote areas, need to receive attention in the process of managing educators.
Teaching experience, length of service, and the geographical conditions of the workplace can be considered in designing fair affirmative mechanisms that still uphold teacher competency standards.
Affirmative policy does not mean ignoring the quality of educators. On the contrary, such policies can be a way to recognize the experience and dedication of teachers who have been instrumental in maintaining the continuity of education in areas with limited facilities.
The government also needs to provide mentoring and competency improvement so that contract teachers have better opportunities to participate in employment selection.
Teacher Welfare as a Measure of Educational Justice
The welfare of contract teachers in NTT should be a shared concern because it is directly related to the quality and sustainability of education.
For a long time, society has often placed teachers as figures who must serve with complete sincerity. While this view reflects respect for the teaching profession, it should not be used as an excuse to ignore their economic rights.
Dedication and welfare are not mutually exclusive. A teacher can perform their work sincerely while also being entitled to a decent income.
The state should not continue to rely on the personal sacrifices of contract teachers to cover shortcomings in the provision of education.
If education is truly placed as a development priority, the welfare of educators must be an essential part of that policy.
It is time for the central and local governments to strengthen coordination, improve financial management, and ensure that employment policies provide better protection for contract teachers.
Ultimately, the success of educational development cannot be measured solely by the number of schools built, curriculum changes, or increased education participation rates.
That success must also be visible in how the state treats the educators who stand in front of the classroom every day.
Because it is difficult to talk about equitable education when the people tasked with educating the nation have yet to experience justice in their own welfare.
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