Jakarta – Teachers at elementary and junior high schools in remote areas of Central Sulawesi province say they are so badly paid they cannot afford staple foods amid these tough economic times.

The teachers say they have never received any benefits from a presidential decree issued several years ago, which stated that school staff in remote regions would receive a special allowance.

"All teachers in remote areas are yet to receive the special allowance, although they need it very much to support their teaching activities," Central Sulawesi Education Department head Indra Bangsawan Wumbu said yesterday.

He was speaking after a meeting with the House of Representatives Commission VI in the provincial capital of Palu.

Wumbu said the government of former president Soeharto had issued the presidential decree stating that teachers based in remote areas would receive a special allowance. But the teachers in Central Sulawesi haven't seen jack. "I don't know why the decree is not implemented in this region," said Wumbu.

He said many teachers can hardly afford to pay for transport and food, because the economic crisis has greatly diminished the purchasing power of their salaries. Wumbu urged the visiting legislators to help Central Sulawesi's school teachers get a salary increase. He pointed out that the quality of education would increase if teachers were better paid.

Wumbu also complained about the lack of teachers at many schools in the province, and criticized the central government's role in determining the numbers of teachers at state schools.

"Frankly speaking, all levels of education in Central Sulawesi are lacking a sufficient number of teachers, but unfortunately the central government always approves only a few of the many teachers we have proposed," he said.

The meeting between the provincial education officials and legislators was also attended by hundreds of junior and senior high schools principals.