Abdi Purmono, Jakarta – Around three hundred teachers demonstrated outside the Regional Education Office in Malang East Java on Thursday to demand a permanent status for thousands of temporary teachers in the region.

Spokesman for the teachers Abdulrohim said during the protest, some of the teachers are running out of time as the regulation that provides legal basis to promote their status to become permanent civil officials stipulates the age limit to be promoted was 46.

"Eighty five percent of us are approaching 46." the regulation stated that temporary teachers should serve at least 20 years to have the right to be promoted, some of the teachers were short of the target.

Head of The Regional Civil Officials Council Tulus Haryanto said the regional administration was restrained by the Government Regulation no 48 of 2005 on the Promotion Procedures for Temporary Civil Officials. The regulation only covers the promotion process until 2009, but the regional administration said to bring the matter to the central government.

Malang has about 1.500 temporary civil officials some working as teachers.