Keputusan MK tentang Gaji Guru dan Dosen Kabar Buruk atau Baik?

The MK Decision about Classifying of Teacher and Lecturer Salary in 20% Education Fund: Good News or Bad News?

By:
Baskoro Adi Prayitno

Yesterday, Mahkamah Konstitusi (MK) announced about the agreeing of some teacher and lecturer complains. They complained about the importance of classifying of their salary in 20% education fund, like as specified by education law. However, this is an untrue decision. That could lead to various of problems, not only for ‘the education world’ but also for the teacher.

The decision of Mahkamah Konstitusi (MK) could lead the problem of education world. The main reason commonly given for this: The decision of Mahkamah Konstitusi (MK) about the classifying of teacher and lecturer salary in 20% education fund is only lightening the government to fulfilling his compulsory toward education law. In this case, the compulsory of the government to fulfilling 20% education fund is almost finishing. For example, in 2007, the government was fulfilling of education fund in 12%, with classifying of teacher and lecturer salary in 20% education fund, the education fund in 2008 is increasing more than 17%. This matter causes the compulsory of the government to fulfilling of education fund only 3%. While in all around regency, a lot of school buildings are almost crumples, many children does not school. To improve this problem required big fund. We hope the education law could be to push the government to more seriously about this problem, but with this case, that hope becomes closed. The government judicially is not wrong if the government is not care about that problem, because the government have fulfilled of his compulsory about 20% of education fund.

For teacher and lecturer, that decision is not bring benefit. A lot of teacher and lecturer assume with Mahkamah Konstitusi agreeing of their complain, their salary could be increase, but I think that is wrong assumption, because the role about salary for governmental officer is clear arranged in other law, so with classifying of teacher and lecturer salary in 20% education fund did not correlated with increasing their salary.

In conclusion, it is clear the classifying of teacher and lecturer salary in 20% education fund could lead to variety of education problem. To solve this problem required political will by government. Education development must be first priority by the government, because the decision of Mahkamah Konstitusi about this case cannot cancel.