Affiliation with school abroad, is this true?

[ms_piaano]

Hello,
The school where I was working told me that they can't process my working Kitas because they are stuck with some documents that they need to submit along with the application. The boss said that there is a new rule from the government saying that any school that wants to employ foreign teacher need to have an affiliation with a school abroad. Is this true?

I have two more years of contract with that school but basically they told me to move on because they can't fulfill this paperwork.

 

[dafluff]

Hello,
The school where I was working told me that they can't process my working Kitas because they are stuck with some documents that they need to submit along with the application. The boss said that there is a new rule from the government saying that any school that wants to employ foreign teacher need to have an affiliation with a school abroad. Is this true?

I have two more years of contract with that school but basically they told me to move on because they can't fulfill this paperwork.

I'm not sure, but it sounds like hogwash. Virtually no school here is affiliated with a school abroad.

 

[Jaime C]

Name and shame. Likely they are trying to break your contact, and not pay a dime.

 

[Daedalus]

Is it an SBK school?
Some national+ schools got away with hiring foreigners over the last few years and now it is difficult for them to game the system. They might be referring to the fact that they cannot legally hire you because they are not an SBK and they are having trouble with the paperwork.

 

[jstar]

What does SBK have to do with National+ or International?

 

[ms_piaano]

Thank you all for your response.

Today, I talked to the agent that handled this matter. She said that it is the new rule from Depnaker Jakarta. The school needs to provide SPK (Surat Perjanjian Kerjasama) with a school abroad. All national+ schools and even language courses that want to hire foreign teachers need to have this letter to be able to get work permit for the foreign teachers.

By the way, what is SBK?

 

[jstar]

School subjects focused on (mainly traditional Indonesian) art, culture, music, dance, cooking etc.

 

[Daedalus]

What does SBK have to do with National+ or International?

SPK - bad typing

Years ago national plus schools were allowed to employ foreigners, that changed when they changed the rules surrounding international schools.

Quite a few national plus schools continue to employ foreigners illegally, but now it is difficult to get around the system because everything is done online.

 

[Daedalus]

Thank you all for your response.

Today, I talked to the agent that handled this matter. She said that it is the new rule from Depnaker Jakarta. The school needs to provide SPK (Surat Perjanjian Kerjasama) with a school abroad. All national+ schools and even language courses that want to hire foreign teachers need to have this letter to be able to get work permit for the foreign teachers.

By the way, what is SBK?

Sorry SPK, I miss typed.

Your school has been employing you illegally for the last few years. National plus schools cannot hire foreigners. They need to change the school into an SPK which is a long process and there are only a certain number allowed in each area.

It has been this way since 2015, but was enforced more beginning 2016. The school have no excuses, the rules have been very clear for years.

 

[Daedalus]

You need to be careful with immigration in this situation because you have been working illegally. Even if you have a kitas, you cannot work in a national school.
With immigration there are no excuses, it is up to you personally to ensure that your documents and working situation are legal.
Has the school been paying the IMTA? have you seen it?

 

[ms_piaano]

Oh really?
They paid IMTA, they said. I have NPWP and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. They deducted my salary to pay my income tax. I have the Bukti potong every year. I thought it was enough proof to me that I was employed legally.

 

[Daedalus]

Oh really?
They paid IMTA, they said. I have NPWP and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. They deducted my salary to pay my income tax. I have the Bukti potong every year. I thought it was enough proof to me that I was employed legally.

They may have been paying things through "contacts" but now they can't because the process is done online. They will be stuck on the IMTA right now because only SPK schools can use the system. They can't process the IMTA, so they can't "illegally" process your visa now.

Sorry, but it really sounds like they have been employing you illegally. National schools cannot have foreigners, it is not a new rule.
Many schools are trying to get around the rules by using freelancers (or agencies) that hire foreigners and then send them to the schools, but that can't be done either and many teachers are getting caught by immigration.

Do yourself a favor, move on and find a job with another school that can hire you legally.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

To check whether a school is SPK or not, just go to the government website, and then search by area.

Data Sekolah - Dapodik

dapo.dikdasmen.kemdikbud.go.id

For example the above link for S Jakarta shows that Highscope is an SPK school (I believe it was national plus under the old designation). Check the column entitled BP.

This is also good for parents to check the schools - you can even check things like water and electricity supply data.

 

[ms_piaano]

Thank you very much for all the inputs. I have more understanding now than before about this SPK. I would definitely want to take the safe route. Thanks!

 

[William King]

Sorry, there is some misinformation on this thread.
First there is no such legal entity as a national plus school.

there is national, there is SPK (most so called national plus schools and international schools are this) and there is diplomatic schools.(Pakistan embassy school and Japanese School)

( all can hire foreigners (with terms and conditions and limitations) - so a claim that they have been doing it wrong or illegally illegally employing you is conjecture and probably false).

the regulations are not clear and the school is probably trying to navigate them. There is a regulation that all schools that are SPK have an affiliation with a foreign school or curriculum providers such as Cambridge or IB. So to answer your first question, yes it is true.

my advice is speak to ANPS (or Association of National and Private Schools) they will be happy to advise.

 

[William King]

They may have been paying things through "contacts" but now they can't because the process is done online. They will be stuck on the IMTA right now because only SPK schools can use the system. They can't process the IMTA, so they can't "illegally" process your visa now.

Sorry, but it really sounds like they have been employing you illegally. National schools cannot have foreigners, it is not a new rule.
Many schools are trying to get around the rules by using freelancers (or agencies) that hire foreigners and then send them to the schools, but that can't be done either and many teachers are getting caught by immigration.

Do yourself a favor, move on and find a job with another school that can hire you legally.

National schools can legally hire up to 5 expats.

 

[William King]

Oh really?
They paid IMTA, they said. I have NPWP and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. They deducted my salary to pay my income tax. I have the Bukti potong every year. I thought it was enough proof to me that I was employed legally.

if you had an IMTA and KITAS you would be legal.

 

[Daedalus]

National schools can legally hire up to 5 expats.

Interesting, because the head of immigration in Surabaya says very different. Like everything here different areas seem to have different rules.

 

[William King]

Interesting, because the head of immigration in Surabaya says very different. Like everything here different areas seem to have different rules.

That's not his job, Immigration do not regulate national schools.

 

[fastpitch17]

I suggest the OP follow the advice of William King. I know he has a lot of experience within the teaching world and will not give you bad advise.

Immigration has not responsibilities for if you can work or not. That belongs to manpower alone.