Education for Indonesians<\/p>\n
I too sympathize with Mrs. Sumarsono and I agree that Mr. Bert
\nde Kort cannot get away with substituting \"international\" for
\n\"European\" as suggested in his letter (The Jakarta Post, Oct. 13,
\n1994). He seems to forget that it must have been insulting for
\nIndonesians to have to be classified as `gelijkgesteld' (honorary
\nEuropeans) before they could enjoy quality education in their own
\ncountry. Today an increasing number of Indonesians, in addition
\nto being able to study overseas, do have access, and without
\nstigma or `honorary' racial re-classification, to their own
\nschools and universities aspiring to international standards.
\nThus, there is a world of difference between the situation today
\nand that under Dutch colonialism. Furthermore, Mr. de Kort's use
\nof the euphemistic phrase \"smack of favoritism,\" to describe what
\nwas, in fact, a grossly discriminatory colonial caste system
\nreinforced by European privilege in education, is inaccurate to
\nsay the least.<\/p>\n
Just as Mr. de Kort has tried, allow me to paint a more
\ncomplete picture for expatriate readers by quoting from the
\nsociologist, W.F. Wertheim's book titled Indonesian Society in
\nTransition: About 1850 the colonial stratification based on race
\nhad assumed a fixed form in Java, which was reflected in the
\nlaws. The Europeans formed the ruling stratum, resembling a
\ncaste. \"The gulf between the two layers was practically
\nunbridgeable.\" \"Punitive measures were framed to ensure that the
\ncolor-line should not be overstepped.\"<\/p>\n
Change came because of practical rather than benevolent or
\nidealistic reasons. Wertheim states that the \"expansion of the
\napparatus of government and of Western business\" brought
\neducational opportunities for the Indo-Europeans, the children of
\nchiefs and the Ambonese and Manadonese Christians; but \"it was
\nonly after 1900 that education was opened to a larger number of
\nIndonesians.\"<\/p>\n
Wertheim goes on to say, \"The demand for trained personnel
\ncontinued to increase. Indonesians were being appointed to
\nfunctions which had previously been the privilege of Europeans.\"
\nHowever, by exclusively reserving high salaried positions for
\nEuropeans, the \"privileged position of the European upper stratum
\nwas preserved for as long as possible.\" Such policies, as well as
\nfar more subtle ones, which reinforce the vested interests of
\ncastes, classes and other socio-economic groupings, by their very
\nnature, provide protection for the undeserving and, consequently,
\nultimately fail. To my great shame my own country perpetuates
\nsuch practices here in Indonesia, albeit on a small scale, in the
\nform of the British Council, which has its origins in the late
\ncolonial period.<\/p>\n
Mr. de Kort's suggestion that in the 1930s the eight million
\npeople of the Netherlands were, for logistical reasons, unable to
\nmake an impact on the education of the 70 million people of the
\nDutch East Indies, hardly seems credible given the extent of the
\nNetherlands' indebtedness to Indonesia. Three hundred and fifty
\nyears of Dutch exploitation and a standard of living (education
\nincluded) which relied very heavily on a one-way flow of wealth
\nfrom Indonesia, deserved some recompense. Such injustices, Mr. de
\nKort, are easier to come to terms with if they are at least
\npresented accurately.<\/p>\n
FRANK RICHARDSON<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/education-for-indonesians-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }