Dilemma of nine-year compulsory education<\/p>\n
Darmaningtyas, Center for the Betterment of Education,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The miserable conditions of schools found in Madura prevail in
\nbut particularly outside Java. In Java, lots of elementary school
\nbuildings are in bad repair and short of teachers, such as in
\nCentral Java, where 15,804 teachers for SDs and 11,672 for
\nsecondary schools are still needed (Kompas, Aug. 3, 2002).<\/p>\n
The destruction has resulted from construction based merely on
\nprofit-seeking based contracting -- unlike construction of
\nbuildings under Dutch rule, or those built under self-management,
\nwith a greater focus on quality, as proven by strong old
\nstructures in contrast to the ruined buildings of the New Order.<\/p>\n
Therefore it has been proposed that public primary schools
\nshould be built by communities through self-management instead of
\nprivate contractors. Therefore, the bureaucrats' financial
\nconcept that buildings worth more than Rp 50 million must be put
\nto a bid needs a review.<\/p>\n
The sense of belonging in a community would enable serious
\nhandling of construction. Allocations for two locations, for
\nexample, could be used for three sites with higher quality than
\ntwo locations in the hands of developers. The commissions
\ndemanded by officials usually reduce contractors' project funds
\nto only 70 percent.<\/p>\n
Teachers are scarcely found in most villages, firstly because
\nthe proper numbers needed have not been met from the beginning.
\nSecondly, some of the villages once had enough teachers but they
\nare now returning home or moving to urban areas. Thirdly, many of
\nthe teachers have retired without being replaced.<\/p>\n
The absence of appointments of new teachers for a long time
\nmarks the educational situation in Depapre district, Jayapura
\nregency, Papua. Forty percent of the 32 primary schools there
\nface a serious shortage; there is even a school served by a
\nsingle teacher. Worse still, lots of teachers are not qualified.<\/p>\n
Unless promptly solved, the problems of poorly maintained
\nbuildings and unavailability of more teachers will hamper public
\naccess to elementary education. But if the solution is made
\nwithout proper planning, the outcome will be to no avail in view
\nof the strong decline of enrollments, and new schools may later
\nhave to close because of the absence of students.<\/p>\n
Caution should also be exercised in the construction of
\nsecondary schools in many places to avoid waste of investments.
\nIn SLTPN 2 (state secondary school) of Pasongsongan, Sumenep,
\nnine buildings plus laboratories and a library have listed only
\n66 students in the 2001\/2002 school year.<\/p>\n
The other phenomenon is declining public enthusiasm to send
\nchildren to school owing to the lack of confidence in formal
\neducational institutions.<\/p>\n
This can be noticed especially in rural areas following the
\neconomic crisis of 1997. With no more hopes in formal education,
\nprimary school graduates are told to work in the nearest cities
\nor get married at a young age.<\/p>\n
Early marriage frequently taking place in the 1970s is now
\nrecurring, with a different background. In the past it was due to
\nignorance of the negative impact haunting this custom, while now
\nit is an expression of disappointment in what is believed to be
\nformal education's failure in responding to practical issues.
\nBoth arguments harm the interests of Indonesian women.<\/p>\n
The government can adopt realistic and accommodative choices
\nto surmount the dilemmatic problems of primary education:<\/p>\n
Firstly, the trend of student enrollment should be observed
\nbefore building new schools. If the number enrolled is
\ndecreasing, renting villagers' homes near the schools in question
\nshould become the solution. Besides saving costs, local
\ncommunities would be involved in collective problem solving and
\ncan feel the \"trickle-down effect\" of schools. New or repaired
\nbuildings are needed for schools with steady flows of students.<\/p>\n
Secondly, shortages of teachers could be overcome by combining
\nsmall and closely located primary schools with students of less
\nthan 90 children. Transport subsidies should be provided for
\nstudents who have to cover long distances. This is more
\neconomical because there is no need to rehabilitate buildings and
\nappoint new teachers.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, practical programs are required to give new hope to
\nthose furthering their study at secondary schools so as to
\nrestore their confidence in formal education. Free education
\nservice is one system that should be applied to relieve public
\nburden and arouse higher schooling interest, though the students
\nmay fail to continue to high schools.<\/p>\n
Fourthly, the solution of primary educational issues cannot be
\nhandled by one institution (i.e. the ministry of national
\neducation), but it should involve its counterparts like the
\nministry of public works for road infrastructure and buildings,
\nand the ministry of communications for public transport
\nfacilities. Schools with a lack of teachers and students with
\ndeclining interest in further study are mostly in remote regions
\nwith poor infrastructure.<\/p>\n
No less important is the synergy of forces in the central and
\nregional administrations, so that both no longer evade their
\nobligations.<\/p>\n
Now the question remains, who is supposed to lead the campaign
\nfor the success of this nine-year compulsory education program?
\nIf the lead in this endeavor is not apparent, it is impossible to
\ndraw the attention of external parties. Stakeholders will also
\nmost likely be confused when they want to contribute to the
\nprogram: Where should their support go, to the central government
\nor regional administrations?<\/p>",
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