Assessing private schools<\/p>\n
Muhammad Iqbal, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It is now an established and observable fact that in Jakarta,
\nand one or two other cities around Indonesia, there is a small
\nbut growing sector of private schools that are offering packages
\nof education that are somewhat different to what is and can be
\noffered by state-run schools.<\/p>\n
In general, we have to recognize that this sector is small; in
\ncomparison to the thousands upon thousands of schools that we
\nhave nationally with millions of schoolchildren, these private
\nschools are but a tiny minority; but this \"tiny minority\" can be
\nsignificant and we therefore should, even must, consider it.<\/p>\n
In this newspaper there has been much consideration and even
\nconsternation about certain aspects of these \"minority, privately
\nrun schools\". Significant among these concerns have been the
\nmanner in which expatriates are so easily employed in such
\nschools and how the concept of bilingual education is sometimes
\nbeing used for the wrong reasons.<\/p>\n
Aspects of private schools such as these are understandably a
\nconcern and it is right that we consider and debate them. Some
\nwill argue that a carte-blanche employment of expatriates to
\nteach in such schools is wrong and others will highlight that the
\naim of bilingual education is wrongly applied for marketing
\npurposes that does not really reach out to educational
\ndevelopment and growth.<\/p>\n
These aspects of private schools are really problematic and
\nconsistently negative and must concern us but it is only fair and
\nright to balance our considerations of private schools with
\nawareness and appreciation of what is good, and this can very
\ndirectly assist us in the difficult task of developing our
\neducation nationally.<\/p>\n
A reality that we may currently encounter, as a benefit of
\nprivately owned and run schools, is that they are bringing to our
\nnation better practices and new ways for our teachers to learn
\nand apply. Take, for example, the fact that a number of these
\nschools consistently run training programs for their teachers.
\nThis very directly creates the opportunity for Indonesian
\neducators to learn and pass on their learning.<\/p>\n
Other private schools set up the possibility for local
\nteachers to work alongside expatriate teachers. Provided that
\nthese expatriate teachers are experienced and have something to
\ncontribute to their local partners, this too can be a great and
\nbeneficial learning experience.<\/p>\n
Other schools offer scholarship programs that allow teachers
\nto teach and gain qualifications at the same time. Finally, those
\nschools that aim to offer international qualifications such as
\nthose offered by the International Baccalaureate Organization
\ncreate the opportunity for teachers to gain internationally
\nrecognized qualifications and accreditation.<\/p>\n
All of this creates very beneficial potential outcomes for
\nIndonesian educators and for Indonesia itself. These are very
\ndefinite plus factors that will positively assist us to develop
\neducation in this country. But perhaps there is an even greater
\nfactor that we should consider that underlies all of this
\n\"development\", and this is the philosophy and approach to
\neducation.<\/p>\n
Private schools will quite often be found to be applying a
\nphilosophy towards education that is somewhat different to that
\nwhich we are perhaps most familiar. Perhaps for us education has
\nfor too long existed as a way of indoctrinating and imposing
\nconformity on our children. Perhaps for too long we have
\nliterally applied a model of education that forces our children
\nto conform to what we require and nothing more or less.<\/p>\n
The great American thinker and writer Noam Chomsky stated that
\n\"Education must provide the opportunities for self-fulfillment;
\nit can at best provide a rich and challenging environment for the
\nindividual to explore, in his own way.\" This needs to be at the
\ntop of our agenda for educational development in our schools.<\/p>\n
Nobody doubts that we as a nation desperately need to improve
\nthe \"infrastructure\" of our schools in terms of simply building
\nnew schools and rebuilding old schools, but we also need massive
\nbuilding and rebuilding of our thinking on education and
\neducational outcomes. If this is possible, and spurred on by the
\nsmall, minority private sector of schools, then this must be a
\ngood thing.<\/p>\n
The negatives that may be associated with private schools are
\nsignificant and we must be aware of and respond to them, but
\nlikewise we must be aware of and respond to the positives that
\nmay be derived from such schools. There is a genuine and grave
\nconcern that too many schools are being opened up by private
\nindividuals with little more in mind than starting up a lucrative
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
Schools should not be allowed to be used for short-term gain
\nand profit-making by private individuals. There really should be
\na requirement, legitimately imposed, that new, privately owned
\nschools be active in building and rebuilding educational growth
\nin our nation. This could include requirements that schools show
\nand deliver programs that both provide education for their
\nstudents and training and development for their teaching staff.<\/p>\n
The writer is an educational counselor in Jakarta. He can be
\nreached at muhambal@yahoo.com.<\/p>",
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