Education needs evolution rather than revolution<\/p>\n
Simon Marcus Gower, Principal, Harapan Bangsa High School,
\nTangerang<\/p>\n
Education, like so many other facets of Indonesian life, has
\ncome under the scrutiny of critics who conclude that there is a
\nneed for major reform, if not revolution, in the way education is
\nconducted in Indonesia. But caution is advisable; to be swept
\naway in a whirlwind of a reformist mentality may not be best
\npolicy where changes are needed.<\/p>\n
It is reasonable to propound that changes are needed; but a
\nsense of perspective and realism is necessary to ensure that the
\nchanges that are made are, in fact, made for the betterment of
\nthe situation not merely for their own sake.<\/p>\n
Change is surely a natural feature of any system of education.
\nIn order to attain any degree of sophistication and relevance to
\nour ever-changing world, education must be flexible and able to
\ngrow.<\/p>\n
But this flexibility should not be misconstrued or over
\nextended to a point of malleability that allows \"reformists\" to
\nshape and bend it to their every whim and ultimately undermining
\nits integrity.<\/p>\n
Reform and revolution have their place but for the world of
\neducation an on-going evolution should be recognized rather than
\na misplaced faith in change for the sake of change. So called
\n\"expert educational consultants and advisors\" should be carefully
\nscreened, or at least viewed with a healthy degree of critical
\nthinking -- not to say skepticism.<\/p>\n
Recently a visiting Australian \"curriculum consultant\" came to
\nIndonesia to promote the virtues of the Australian schooling
\nsystem. He seemed to propose that the managers of education in
\nIndonesia would be best advised to resign from their Indonesian
\ncurriculum efforts and take on, almost wholesale, the model (\"the
\nexcellent exemplar\"), of the Australian system.<\/p>\n
To such depths was he convinced of this, almost outrageous,
\nnotion that he intimated that in order to facilitate this shift
\nto, what he would claim to be, a higher paradigm educators in
\nIndonesia would all need to be able to understand English.
\nCurriculum builders and designers would, in short, have to be
\nfluent and fully capable in written and spoken English so that
\nthey could manage this move.<\/p>\n
There could surely be no debating the fact that there are
\nlinguistic, cultural, thinking and facilities differences that
\nhave to be considered and accommodated in adapting and applying
\nessentially foreign models.<\/p>\n
Internationalism in education is a longstanding and legitimate
\npractice. One only needs to look at the likes of Silicon Valley
\nor world-renowned research centers in the likes of Cambridge or
\nOxford to witness the benefits to be gained from a world without
\nborders when it comes to educational and academic growth. But
\ncarte blanche acceptance of outside ideas does not work.<\/p>\n
Indonesia very clearly is exhibiting development of its
\neducation sector. True, and almost inevitably, the recent social,
\npolitical and economic problems have not helped this process of
\ndevelopment. Indeed nationally they have setback the improvement
\nof education considerably but there are also signs of
\nimprovement.<\/p>\n
There are very well and deeply dedicated people that believe
\nin and are actively pursuing the advancement of better education.
\nIn addition, the plethora of national plus schools that have been
\nestablished and continue to take root and more fully formulate
\ntheir programs of education also indicate the manner in which
\nchange for the better is actually occurring.<\/p>\n
For growth and development to continue it is not, then,
\nnecessary to \"reinvent the wheel\" or rip up what has already been
\ndone and start again. Reference to what is going on in the wider
\nworld with regards to education will always be useful and
\nimportant. But it is essential, for it to work, that those that
\nrefer to this big world of education possess acumen in judgment
\nand skill in application to adapt and match to the needs and
\ncapabilities of the Indonesian schooling system.<\/p>\n
Evolution theorists recognize the concept of natural selection
\nin the evolutionary process. In the evolving system of education
\nin Indonesia it should be natural for selectivity to be
\nscrupulously applied. Even where there is dissatisfaction with
\nthe current situation this should not be allowed to waste what is
\nalready good.<\/p>\n
Education and educational development is a gradual process.
\nWhat is essential is that parties concerned in education have a
\ndesire to change and progress. Knowledge that progress is being
\nmade is always going to be helpful. But recognition and targeting
\nof end results should be maintained. If the perceived need for
\nprogress and change becomes obsessive there is the risk that
\nlonger-term objectives may be forgotten and consequently become
\nincreasingly illusive.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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