TEACHER PROFESIONALISM, IN THE NEW ERA

Education is the benchmark for the success of a nation. In fact, there is a strong correlation between education with the awakening of a nation. Growing a revolution and reformations in a country, almost certainly initiated by educated young people who have a high national spirit. Without the youth of the nationalist spirit, it is hard to imagine a new era of struggle which we call a national awakening.

The interference of youth in education was able to provide orientation on the development and give a positive contribution to the advancement of the nation. This was a same statement with the philosophy of education from JH. Abendanon, "If A Nation Want to Go, Everything Must Start of Education." However, the success and progress of education in Indonesia are now starting to be questioned. This was proved by the marginalization of ethics requires some knowledge on students. The students just seek a diploma/degrees and without looking at the real science entities.

In developed countries, we know that the prospect of education is  supported by modern facilities and an international learning system. Whereas in developing countries, such as in Indonesia, the success of education will be gained in step by step and it requires a process and time that’s not shortened.

The process of educational development in Indonesia is influenced by several factors, for example, is a lecturer / teacher and curriculum. According to UNESCO data, 41-63% of the world's educational success is directly affected by the professionalism of teachers. In Indonesia, there are two laws government of the education system and teachers. In Law no. 20/2003 on National Education System explained that the learning process should be implemented in an active, innovative, creative, effective, and fun. While the professionalism of teachers is regulated by Law no. 14/2005. In this law explained that professional teachers who have the intellectual ability, transfer knowledge ability, understanding students development, and creative (have the arts) in teaching.

From the explanation, a lot of critics from observers of education these days is the professionalism of teachers, especially in the second and fourth points of "transfer knowledge ability and have the art in teaching." Based on data from a survey institutions about the style of teaching high school teachers in several provinces in Indonesia, it is known that approximately 43% of teachers just teach with theory method, 23% of teachers teach with methods of recording, 18% of teachers teach with tasks, and 16% of teachers teaching with applicative methods / sharring (LSI, 2006).

From these data, it seems clear if the title of "developing country" is still carried by Indonesia because of the creativity of teachers in educating only in the last ranks. This is also a fact that the purpose of Law No. 20/2003 on the implementation of learning activities by using contextual teaching learning has not been realized. If we analyse about role and function of the ideal teachers is not only as an actor in the classroom but also a script writer, director, producer, even the figurant/supernumerary in a school activity. It means that the teacher sometimes can act as a promoter of knowledge, giver of the command when the learning progress, mediator when there is a problem in the subject, a provider of learning, and even companion for students during the learning process.

The external factors that contributing as a constraint to be a professional teacher is the number students who are not proportional to the number of teachers. The latest data states that teacher-students ratio in Indonesia is 1:40. Where every teacher had to handle about 40 students in one class. These do not include the overall number of students who must be educated by the teacher (if the teacher must teach more than one class). For example, the teachers of the "A" subject must teach four to six classes each containing 40 students. Imaginable, a problem that already exists on the teachers would be grow up both socially and psychologically. (Kompas, 2007)

This is the education of our nation faces today. Management of national education which was made pragmatist problem inequality. If this is left continuous, then no doubt 10 years from now the cadres of the successor nations will look like the “tires less wind” that can not move the “wheels” of the nation awakening. Even if this problem is still not professionally managed, it would be better if the nation is “importing” educators to be able to answer "a big question mark" the professionalism of teachers. Or the students had to be “exported” to initiate a new era of education awakening.