Professional Education Involves Experts

Media Indonesia, page 18

Upgrading the quality of productive teachers for Vocational High School (SMK) is an urgent matter. The government will address the issue through involving campuses, industry, and experts in teaching profession education (PPG) in the subsidized positions. This was stated by the Director of Learning, Directorate General of Learning and Student Affairs of Kemenristekdikti, Paristiyanti Nurwardani.

She said that to maximize coordination between Kemenrisktekdikti and Kemendikbud, the involvement of Institute of Teachers’ Education (LPTK) with A accreditation will be prioritized, except in several less adequate regions, such as Papua and a number of other regions in eastern Indonesia.

She continued that the PPG program was currently being implemented through the provision of a subsidy for accepted participants from state or private SMK in various regions. This subsidy will be granted to 2,500 teachers from 10 fields or majors in SMK. The majors in PPG are technology, fishing, agribusiness of animal production, agribusiness of farming and fishery production, tourism, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, automotive engineering, and chemical engineering.

The Director General of Teacher and Educational Personnel, Sumarna Surapranata, said that teachers registered in the PPG program should meet the requirement including having permanent or non-permanent teacher status in state or private  schools as well as already being registered in the Educational Database (Dapodik), have five years teaching experience or be taking the bachelor teachers program for teachers. In addition, they should hold a university bachelor degree of a minimum B accreditation and a minimum GPA of 2.75.