By: Aristika Utami
Education is the main foundation in national development. Behind the success of each next generation is a teacher who is highly dedicated in educating, guiding, and shaping the character of students. However, for years, the issue of teacher welfare has continued to be an unfinished discussion.
The government realizes that teacher welfare is an important element in creating a superior and sustainable education system. Therefore, the presence of the “Quick Best Results” program is a real form of the government’s commitment to improving the quality of life of educators, especially teachers in various regions in Indonesia.
The Quick Best Results Program (PHTC) consists of school construction and renovation, smart classroom assistance, assistance for teachers who have not graduated from D4 or S1 along with Rp. 3 million per semester, and assistance for honorary teachers.
Prabowo said It is impossible for us to become a prosperous country, it is impossible for us to become a developed country if our education is not good, our education is not successful, therefore this program was launched to improve welfare in the field of education.
The Quick Best Results Program is a strategy designed with the principles of high efficiency and accountability. The goal is not only to improve teacher welfare materially, but also to encourage improvements in the quality of education through performance-based incentives.
The government understands that the challenges of education in Indonesia are very diverse—from limited access in 3T (remote, frontier, and outermost) areas, to disparities in quality between regions. In this context, conventional approaches to improving teacher welfare often take time and do not always have a direct impact on improving the quality of learning in the classroom.
Through this program, the government implements a mechanism that is integrated with the national education data system. Teachers who demonstrate superior performance, especially in raising student learning outcomes and implementing innovative learning methods, will receive awards in the form of cash incentives and faster career advancement. This is a form of direct appreciation that is meritocratic, where real results in teaching and learning activities are the main benchmark. This scheme is a breath of fresh air for teachers who have always felt that their hard work has not always received proper recognition.
Furthermore, the Fast Best Results program also targets the acceleration of adjusting the employment status of honorary teachers who have served for a long time. The government is conducting comprehensive data collection and mapping to ensure that teachers who have met the requirements obtain ASN or PPPK status with a faster, more transparent, and non-discriminatory process. This step is important to provide legal certainty and long-term welfare for teachers who have been in an uncertain status.
The government is also integrating this program with increasing teacher capacity and professionalism. Through online and offline training facilitated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, teachers are equipped with the latest pedagogical skills, the use of digital technology in learning, and the social-emotional approaches needed to face the dynamics of the modern world of education. All of these professional development activities are recorded in the system and become part of the assessment in the Fast Best Results program, so that there is continuity between teacher self-development efforts and the awards they receive.
The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, said that the government has officially launched an education funding assistance program for teachers who have not completed a bachelor’s degree (S1) or equivalent to diploma 4 (D4), each receiving IDR 3 million per semester. And it is allocated for around 12 thousand teachers in Indonesia.
Positive responses from various parties indicate that this program has great potential to bring about significant change. Teachers who previously felt stagnant in their careers now have a new spirit to continue improving the quality of their teaching. On the other hand, education stakeholders, from school principals, supervisors, to parents of students, are also involved in creating a more productive and collaborative learning ecosystem. This is proof that when teacher welfare is taken seriously, the impact will be felt widely, including the quality of learning and student learning outcomes.
Of course, this program is not without challenges. Continuous evaluation and policy refinement are needed so that its implementation remains relevant and fair. Several technical obstacles are still found, such as limited internet access in remote areas, or differences in policy interpretation between regions. However, the government’s commitment to continue listening to input from the field andn making the necessary adjustments is key to ensuring that the Fast Best Results program truly becomes an instrument of inclusive and equitable change.
In the long term, improving teacher welfare will not only impact the quality of education, but will also create greater public trust in the government. Prosperous and valued teachers will be strong agents of change in creating a superior, integrated, and adaptive generation to changing times. The Fast Best Results program is a strategic step towards this great ideal—building Indonesia through quality education and educators whose welfare is guaranteed.
)* Government Policy Observer
