Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Hundreds of teachers recruited for the People's Schools have decided to resign due to the distant placement of teaching locations from their residences. The National Coordinator of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network, Ubaid Matraji, assessed that there was neglect from the government regarding the teacher placement policy.
"The government seems to turn a blind eye to the fact that the distant placement of teachers is a symptom of a larger problem," he said on Sunday, July 27, 2025.
He also criticized the response of Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf, who claimed to have a reserve of teachers to replace those who resign. According to him, if teachers can be easily replaced, it indicates that the continuity and quality of teaching in people's schools are not the main priority.
"Relying on a system without field verification, without teacher participation in the decision-making process is a form of governance failure," he said.
Ubaid is concerned that the people's school program is only being used as a trial project. This has an impact on students from poor backgrounds who seem to be the guinea pigs of government projects.
Meanwhile, according to Ubaid, children from underprivileged groups should receive the best education. "They are increasingly marginalized by policies that should uplift them. The current system is unjust," he said.
Previously, Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf said that hundreds of teachers had resigned because they were placed in distant locations. According to his ministry's records, as many as 160 people's school teachers decided to leave the program.
However, he stated that the government has a solution to address the issue. He mentioned that there are still around 50,000 teachers in the teacher professional education process awaiting placement in schools, including for People's Schools.
"There are many teachers ready to replace them, as there are more than 50,000 teachers who are undergoing the teacher professional education process (PPG) awaiting placement," said Gus Ipul.