Teacher Profession is Open for Non-Educational Undergraduates

Kompas, page 12, Wednesday, April 19

The teacher profession is no longer just carried out by educational scholars from teacher profession education institutes. The opportunity to become professional teachers in the early childhood education level up to secondary level is open to non-educational undergraduates. This was revealed by the Director of Learning of the Directorate General of Learning and Student Affairs of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (Kemenristek Dikti), Paristiyanti Nurwardani, in Jakarta, Tuesday (18/4).

Paristiyanti explained that teachers who teach in school must be professional teachers who undergo teachers’ professional education (PPG). Beginning this year, prospective teachers taking part in PPG are no longer participants of the Undergraduate Educators in the Frontier, Outermost, and Disadvantaged Regions (SM3T).

According to Paristiyanti, for about five years, prospective professional teachers are selected through the SM3T program tasked to serve for one year in the 3T regions. Then, they are given a one-year boarding PPG education scholarship in a government LPTK or educator education institute. They are the ones who are prioritized to be civil servant teachers, including those through the Front Line Teachers to fill teacher shortages in 3T areas.

Paristiyanti added that based on evaluation so far, SM3T teachers were not in accordance with the provisions. Because, they do not yet have educator certificates, but already taught in schools. Beginning this year, PPG SM3T will be discontinued and a new regular PPG model will be developed.