During the meeting, the association asked the government to quickly issue a regulation to implement a 2005 law aimed at improving the professionalism and quality of Indonesian teachers and lecturers.

Kalla responded to the request by saying all heads of regional education agencies throughout the country must pass teacher certification tests.

"Pak Kalla has promised that in the future, education agency heads must first pass teacher certification tests," Sulistiyo was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.

Sulistiyo said some education agency heads did not have educational backgrounds. As an example, he cited one agency head who was formerly a fireman.

"The PGRI has suggested that to improve the quality of education, an education agency head must be a university graduate and pass a certification test. And the Vice President agreed with it," he said.

The PGRI also urged the government to provide students with free, high-quality textbooks.

"We also requested of the government that the 20 percent of the state budget to be allocated for education not be channeled to the education bureaucracy but (instead) to less privileged students," Sulistiyo said. --JP