Double standard in education<\/p>\n
This letter refers to Mr. de Kort's letter in The Jakarta Post
\non Oct. 13, 1994.<\/p>\n
Come on Mr. de Kort, you know better than that. Even if we
\nsubstitute \"International\" for \"European\" everything has changed
\nfor the better in Indonesia. I appreciate your explanation of the
\ndouble system of education under Netherlands Indies rule, but
\nwith one correction though: it smacked of favoritism.<\/p>\n
I know of students with lower grades, who did not come up to
\nthe standard qualities in oral examinations and yet were
\naccepted. They had one thing in their favor, the color of their
\nskin. This is a logical effect of the system: double standards.<\/p>\n
The barring of Indonesian children from international schools
\nin Indonesia by our government, has educational considerations,
\nnot political ones like in the colonial times. Children are free
\nto join schools anywhere in the world and obtain any knowledge
\nthere is to be gained, if their parents can afford it. But could
\nour parents, with earnings of a few rupiah a day, afford that
\nthen? It is possible now, but deliberately made impossible then.<\/p>\n
Do you really not see the difference in categories? In those
\ntimes you refer to 98 percent of the population being illiterate.
\nWas it too big a project to make them at least able to read and
\nwrite, considering the amounts of revenues taken from this
\ncountry?<\/p>\n
Hypothetically, what would have happened to this country if
\nthere were thousands of more Sukarnos, Hattas and Sjahrirs? The
\nDutch would have lost us ages ago. Heaven forbid. What
\ncolonialism is all about anyway, is profit seeking (why is it
\nthat Multatuli made the subtitle of his book: De Koffie veiling
\nvan Amsterdam (The Coffee Auction in Amsterdam). There is a
\ncommon denominator between Amsterdam and Batavia and continued
\ninterdependence.<\/p>\n
I can accept positive criticism. We all have to learn and
\nadjust more to one another. No country is perfect.<\/p>\n
The attitude of not being willing to accept what we have
\nachieved despite the rough colonial times, and of not willing to
\nadmit what went wrong in the 350 years of Dutch occupation,
\ntriggers my resentment. If, if only ... we could have been so
\nmuch better in understanding each other as well.<\/p>\n
INA SUMARSONO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/double-standard-in-education-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }