Buleleng Plans Teacher Redistribution as 48 Schools Lack Hindu Religion Staff

Singaraja — Education authorities in Buleleng, North Bali, say around 48 schools in the regency are facing a shortage of Hindu religion teachers, and plan to redistribute existing staff and draw on teachers from nearby schools while waiting for new civil service positions to be approved.

The figure of around 48 schools has been cited by both the Buleleng Education, Youth and Sports Office (Disdikpora) and Regent I Nyoman Sutjidra, who have described the lack of Hindu religion teachers as a serious problem for the regency’s basic education system.

RRI Singaraja reported that 48 schools in Buleleng are experiencing shortages of Hindu religion teachers and that the local government considers the issue “crucial” because teaching needs have not yet been fully met. The broadcaster said the regency plans to make temporary use of teachers from nearby schools while waiting for approval of new teacher formations through the Buleleng Human Resources and Personnel Development Agency (BKPSDM).

Separately, Detik Bali reported that Disdikpora Buleleng had identified 48 schools that remain short of Hindu religion teachers and that the office intends to carry out a redistribution of teachers based on mapped needs at each school. According to the head of Disdikpora, Ida Bagus Gde Surya Bharata, the office will remap teacher requirements and assign teachers whose teaching hours are not yet fulfilled to schools that lack Hindu religion teachers.

Officials outline redistribution plan

Surya Bharata told local media that his office is mapping the need for teachers across education units to match workloads with available staff, with particular attention to religion teachers. Teachers who still have unused teaching hours could then be deployed to other schools in need, including those without dedicated Hindu religion teachers.

Regent Sutjidra has endorsed a similar approach, saying the regency will rely on teachers from nearby schools as a short-term measure to maintain Hindu religion instruction while formal proposals for new positions are processed by BKPSDM. Detik Bali reported that this redistribution may also involve assigning subject teachers to teach in schools that are not far from their current workplace.

Disdikpora Buleleng has previously highlighted redistribution and assistant-teacher schemes as part of broader efforts to address teacher shortages, including in Hindu religion and Balinese language subjects. The current plan for Hindu religion teachers fits into this wider strategy of reallocating existing resources before new civil service positions are approved.

Limits on new hires

RRI reported that Sutjidra said the regency cannot simply recruit new contract teachers to fill the gap because current government policy no longer allows the hiring of contract personnel, restricting immediate recruitment options for local administrations. As a result, officials are focusing on redistributing existing teachers and seeking approval for additional permanent Hindu religion teacher positions through BKPSDM.

Detik Bali also noted that the shortage of teachers in Buleleng extends beyond Hindu religion, with some schools lacking physical education (PJOK) teachers and classroom teachers, prompting consideration of combined classes and broader redistribution of staff. The Hindu religion teacher shortage in the 48 schools is therefore part of a wider staffing challenge in the regency’s school system.

Scope and timing still unclear

Neither RRI nor Detik Bali provided a breakdown of which schools are affected or the exact number of Hindu religion teacher positions or teaching hours missing across the 48 schools. The reports also did not specify the education levels involved or when the redistribution and BKPSDM approval processes are expected to be completed.

Local coverage has highlighted individual schools, such as SDN 4 Panji, where classroom teachers have had to take on Hindu religion lessons due to the lack of specialist teachers, underscoring the practical impact of the shortage on students and workloads. But for the regency-wide figure of 48 schools, officials have so far shared only aggregate numbers and broad policy responses.

Sources

• RRI Singaraja – 48 Sekolah di Buleleng Kekurangan Guru Agama Hindu
• Detik Bali – Disdikpora Ungkap 48 Sekolah di Buleleng Kekurangan Guru Agama Hindu
• Balipost – Kekurangan Guru Agama, Disdik Buleleng Petakan Redistribusi Guru
• Disdikpora Buleleng – Menjawab Keresahan Generasi Muda, Disdikpora Bahas Mapel Agama Hindu dan Bahasa Bali di Kedasih Bali Utara