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| One thousand two hundred and thirty-eight teachers were inaugurated in the Teacher Professional Education Program of UMM. (Photo by Wildan PR of UMM) |
One thousand two hundred and thirty-eight students of the Teacher Professional Education program of UMM were officially inaugurated on March 14, 2023. They, who come from various regions in Indonesia, declared the teacher oath and were equipped with the scientific orations of two speakers. The speakers were the Director General of Teachers and Education Personnel of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Prof. Dr. Nunuk Suryani, M.Pd., and the Executive Director of APCE UNESCO, Prof.Dr. Ignasius D.A. Sutapa, M.Sc.
Interestingly, the students in the current and pre-positions of the Teacher Professional Program of UMM have also produced some works: 11 intellectual property rights and 17 ISBN-indexed books, which so far contain the creative experience of the best practice, so does another achievement in pedagogy and education.
Nunuk Suryani assumes that one of the educational problems in Indonesia is the lack of teacher resources in Indonesia. Most of it is due to the large number of teachers who will retire. "In 2022, the data shows that the shortage of teachers in Indonesia is 781 thousand. To overcome the vacancy or the lack, the solution is to conduct the P3K ASN selectio," said she.
Additionally, the woman known as Nunur explains the strategic issue of national education development, which must be addressed, primarily when it is related to unequal educational services and low quality of education. According to the data, 288 sub-districts in Indonesia do not have junior high schools, and 681 do not have senior high schools.
Meanwhile, low teacher competency with uneven distribution actually influences the quality of education, as does the unavailability of the assessment method of steady learning outcomes. "On the other hand, the competitiveness of Indonesian tertiary institutions, considered weak based on innovation, publication, and citation, also affects the situation. However, the surprising thing is that UMM does not experience it. UMM has even become a high capability campus in the three aforementioned things," she added.
Then, Nunuk assesses that Indonesia needs a new transformation for its educational system. The change is not only for future teachers but also for opening existing teachers' mindsets to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets.
On the same occasion, Ignasius explains the vital role of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education in preparing professional teachers in the digital era. He thinks the digital education age is marked by the integration of information, communication, and technology (ICT) into the teaching and learning process. Students and teachers can easily access abundant teaching and learning materials.
This convenience also gives its challenges, especially in innovation and collaboration capabilities which can be essential aspects in advancing the educational system. Hence, it can generate high-quality human resources, which can compete globally.
"The old ways of looking at literacy in education, which are reading, writing, and counting, are no longer adequate now. Educators and students must understand the new literacy system in this digital era, which consists of three things: data literacy, the ability to read and analyze using information in the digital world, and technology literacy," added Ignasius
At the inauguration, the four most outstanding students got accolades. They were active in various fields: sports, master of ceremony, and book publishing. Several of them also succeeded in publishing their research papers in a Sinta 2-indexed journal.
Regarding the teacher inauguration, Vice Rector I of UMM, Prof. Dr. Syamsul Arifin, M. Si. expects the newly inaugurated teachers to be able to respond to the challenges of the times. Primarily, they have been equipped materially and methodologically, which they can apply when teaching later.
Also, he expressed his appreciation to the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, which has trusted UMM, especially its Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, which prepares future professional educators and excellent human resources to advance Indonesians.
The Dean of the FTTE of UMM, Dr. Trisakti Handayani, M.M. also delivered a similar idea. One of the problems Indonesians face is the limitation of human resources. Therefore, creative, critical, and innovative teachers must exist to be able to generate the nation's next generation and acquire collaboration skills to encounter the uncertain era. (imh/wil)
