The Indonesian government must invest in teachers and reform the teaching profession that in order to improve the quality of the country’s education, according to World Bank Senior Director of Education Jamie Saavedra.
“Teachers are still the essential element to achieve effective learning. The essential focus is on improving the quality of the interaction between teachers and students,” Saavedra said, as quoted by The Jakarta Globe.
Saavedra visited schools in South Jakarta and Jakarta’s Thousand Island district during his trip to Indonesia. He met with teachers, parents and the school board to give advice regarding problems the schools were facing.
According to Saavedra, reforming the teachers’ careers could play a major impact in improving the quality of students’ learning.
“Reforming teachers’ careers is not an easy task. They have in their hands the future of Indonesian children and youth, and through that, the future of the nation,” he added.
Despite improvements in providing basic education for the people, Indonesia has yet to make any significant progress in students’ performances in the classroom. In an education ranking provided by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Indonesian students have been underperforming in certain subjects, with the country being ranked 64th in science, 65th in mathematics, and 66th in reading, in a survey of 72 countries.
Featured Image via Pixnio