Every 25th of November, Indonesia commemorates two things at once, namely the National Teachers’ Day and the birthday of the Teachers Association of the Republic of Indonesia (PGRI). PGRI was created on November 25, 1945, as a form of resistance towards the discrimination done by the Dutch towards the local teachers. Some time later, in 1994, the National Teachers’ Day commemoration was made on the same date to honor all the teachers in Indonesia.
According to Zakia Sabina, a class of 2021 Communication Science Student, this National Teachers’ Day can be a moment for us to appreciate and express our gratitude to teachers. Usually, Zakia appreciates lecturers by focusing when she is learning in class. In Communication Science, Zakia also always gives appreciation and feedback in the peer assessment session after the release of grades at the end of the semester to each lecturer. She also has small prayers that are always inserted specifically for teachers or lecturers who have helped her a lot in expanding her knowledge as gratitude.
Azza Rokhana, a class of 2022 Communication Science Student, also commemorates this day by appreciating the teachers or lecturers who have provided education to her. Azza usually expresses her gratitude to lecturers in Communication Science by giving feedback through the comments column on the attendance page in the form of appreciation for the way lecturers teach and write materials that are top of mind for her to illustrate the fact that she paid attention to the material given at that time. Today, Zakia and Azza feel that teachers and lecturers are still far from being prosperous and still need more attention from the government and all Indonesians.
On National Teachers’ Day, they hope that teachers, as the frontline of forming the golden generation, can be much more cared for. They also hope that teachers will get more proper appreciation, be it from salaries, adequate facilities for teaching, and various other needs, given the magnitude of their services in educating the nation’s generation. “Hopefully everything that has been sacrificed by teachers for all of us can be equally rewarded both from the state and from God Almighty,” said Zakia.
Hopefully this national day can be a moment for us to always remember the services that have been given to us and pay more attention to the welfare of teachers in Indonesia. Happy National Teachers’ Day! (Ed)