Teachers not to get involved in practical politics

No Politics for Teachers in Papua

Jayapura (ANTARA) – The Papua Province Education, Libraries and Archives Office asked teachers in its region not to get involved in practical politics, considering that 11 districts will hold regional elections simultaneously.

Head of the Papua Province Education, Library and Regional Archives Office Christian Sohilait in Jayapura, Wednesday, said that his party received reports from school principals in the Pilkada organizing districts that their teachers were starting to become a success team.

“For example, during a working visit to Nabire Regency last week, many school principals complained about the teacher being the success team,” he said.

According to Christian, his party hopes that the candidates for regional heads in the 11 districts organizing the Pilkada will not recruit teachers to become the success team.

“These teachers are urgently needed by the young Papuan generation in the field of education,” he said.

He explained that for this reason, his party appealed to teachers not to be part of a successful team or anything related to politics.

“If teachers are part of the success team and the candidates fail, it is not only the teachers who are disadvantaged, but the children who are left behind,” he said.

He added that the teachers should remain neutral because whoever later becomes the regional head, the teacher is still extraordinary.

The implementation of the 2020 Pilkada in Papua Province was held in 11 districts namely Keerom, Supiori, Waropen, Asmat, Merauke, Boven Digoel, Yahukimo, Bintang Mountains, Nabire, Yalimo and Mamberamo Raya.

Notes

A former Dutch colony, West Papua was formally incorporated into Indonesia in 1969, after an undisputed vote of about 1,025 representative tribal leaders. The result of the plebiscite was overseen and endorsed by the United Nations.

Since the democratization in 1998, especially since 2007, democracy by mean of elections has been introduced to increase political participation in the two provinces. The fact that the leaders of Papua and West Papua provinces are democratically elected by the people has strengthened the legality of the region as a province of Indonesia.