Teacher, Protector, Clown

Muradi, Kontan

In Indonesia, a temporary teacher, whose workload and level of responsibility in the classroom is identical to that of a tenured teacher, gets a much smaller salary, except in the case of those teaching sports or religion.

Muhammad Khalid (43), who has been teaching since 1985, is a second-grade temporary teacher at SD Negeri VII state school in Sumberagung, Pesanggaran, of Banyuwangi sub-district in East Java. His monthly salary is minuscule, only 250,000 rupiah (USD26), so he moonlights as a school security guard.

He arrives at 5:30 a.m. daily to teach a class of 24 pupils from 7 a.m. to 12:15 pm. However, he leaves the school grounds much later than the other teachers because he also has to work his shift as the school security guard.

Khalid, who is one of three thousand temporary teachers working at state schools in Banyuwangi, has two boys of his own still in school, and his monthly pay as a teacher is not nearly enough to cover his ever-increasing household expenses, even with his side job as the school security guard.

To make ends meet, Khalid decided to become a travelling clown, which enables him to pocket another 1,500,000 rupiah (USD163) per month. Since August 2007, he has performed all around the village at one child’s birthday party after another, with his shows becoming so popular that he has even formed his own clown troupe.

Yet, despite this entertainment success, his biggest dream is still to become a tenured teacher.

Khalid, whose commitment to education reflects the dedication of millions of other teachers around the country, continues teaching because that is what he loves most: it is his passion.

CAPTIONS

1. Preparing material for the next day’s class.
2. Khalid in his formal teaching uniform.
3. The 2nd grade class at SDN VII Sumberagung state school, Banyuwangi.
4. Preparing for a clown performance.
5. Besides teaching, Khalid works as a travelling clown to earn extra money.