Boosting Honorary Teacher Pay for Better HR Management

Teachers are one of the key elements in advancing the nation through improving the quality of human resources. Well-structured education is a must for modern countries. Teachers have a significant role in honing creativity, critical thinking skills, and building students' character. Therefore, to realize a competitive and quality education system at the global level, teacher welfare needs to receive serious attention.

According to Gutser (2024) Teachers who feel sufficient with their income tend to provide higher quality teaching. So, teacher salaries, especially honorary teachers in Indonesia, should reflect their hard work. However, the fact is that there are still many honorary teachers who receive very low income. Based on a report by the Institute for Demographic and Poverty Studies (IDEAS), more than 74% of honorary teachers earn salaries below IDR 2 million per month. Even though the status of honorary teachers is not permanent, this should not be a justification for providing such minimal wages.

The welfare of honorary teachers is still far from adequate  

The reality on the ground shows that many teachers still receive wages below the minimum standard, which has an impact on their low level of welfare. Most honorary teachers have to have additional work to meet their daily living needs. This situation occurs because they are not permanent employees, and some of them need to improve their competence so they can earn a better income, for example by becoming State Civil Apparatus (ASN). However, considering the important role of teachers in national development, they should not receive salaries that are far below the average. 

Increase the salaries of honorary teachers to support the quality of national education  

According to Siburian (2024), increasing salaries for honorary teachers will have a positive impact on their performance. This is very important in order to realize better and more equitable education throughout Indonesia. With a decent income, teachers can focus more on carrying out their duties without being distracted by side jobs. The mental burden related to fulfilling life's needs will also be reduced, so that their stress level will decrease. In other words, efforts to improve teacher welfare and competence are very necessary so that education in Indonesia can continue to progress. Apart from that, training for honorary teachers will increase their abilities, thereby providing higher motivation in teaching. All of this can contribute to improving the quality of learning, which ultimately brings great benefits to the nation's future generations.

To build quality human resources, active role and collaboration from various parties is needed. The government, teaching staff, students and parents have their respective responsibilities in efforts to improve the quality of education in Indonesia. The first step that must be taken is to ensure that honorary teachers receive adequate welfare and fair compensation. Education is a form of long-term investment for the nation's progress. By giving appropriate appreciation to honorary teachers, we not only improve their standard of living, but also ensure a brighter future for future generations.

The government's role in solving problems

Honorary teachers only make up 24% of the total teachers in Indonesia. After the law was issued that focused on regulating non-PNS employees, namely Law No. 5 of 2014. But the reality is that the implementation of this law is not effective. The visible impact is the significant difference between the salaries of honorary teachers, civil servant teachers and contract employees but with the same workload. There is a need to regulate honorary teacher salaries so that the welfare of honorary teachers is achieved.  Based on Law No. 20 of 2003 Article 40 paragraph 1 explains that teaching staff and workers deserve income and social welfare guarantees (Dhobith, 2024). The government is expected to allocate a sufficient and larger budget for the education sector, especially for the welfare of honorary teachers. It is also necessary to simplify the teacher administration process because according to Dhobith (2024), there are still teachers whose salaries are delayed. 

Teachers in private schools or remote areas often receive lower salaries than teachers in public or urban schools (Dhobith, 2024, p. 29459). This highlights the need for more equitable salary distribution by the government, especially for educators in remote areas. Although the cost of living in cities and villages are different, the salaries between the two locations should not be too stark. By equalizing salaries, education in rural areas can be improved, as well as attracting more qualified educators to serve in these areas.

The creation of superior human resources requires harmonious collaboration between various parties. The government, educators, students and parents have their respective responsibilities in efforts to improve the quality of education in Indonesia. One of the basic steps that must be taken is to pay attention to the welfare of honorary teachers by providing fair and adequate compensation. Education is the main foundation for the progress of a nation. By giving proper appreciation to honorary teachers, we not only help improve their standard of living, but also contribute to creating a more competent and highly competitive next generation