Indonesia needs more than additional budget to improve education system<\/p>\n
Hopes for better education for all soared after the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) endorsed the fourth batch of
\namendments to the 1945 Constitution, including the article on
\neducation, early this month.<\/p>\n
Limited budget has been one of the main constraints in
\nproviding quality education for all. The Assembly's decision to
\ninsert a clause on the education budget in Article 31 on
\neducation was therefore a welcomed breakthrough. The amended
\narticle stipulates that the state allocates a minimum of 20
\npercent of the total state and regional budgets to meet the costs
\nof national education.<\/p>\n
Despite this encouraging development, the phenomenal budget
\nallocation has been met with mixed reactions, with skeptics
\ncasting doubts on whether the new legislation can produce a
\nbetter education system.<\/p>\n
The amendment to the article on education itself was not
\nwithout debate. Legislators who were against the clause said that
\nit could easily be used by rival politicians to oust the
\npresident in case he or she failed to provide the funds due to
\nunfavorable economic conditions.<\/p>\n
This is, of course, regretful. Instead of giving a more
\nreasonable explanation, the legislators simply made excuses, an
\nindication that they did not perceive education as an important
\nmatter.<\/p>\n
The education sector, which is often sidelined by other
\nissues, fared better in 1985 when the government allocated up to
\n17.6 percent of the state budget for educational purposes. It
\nshould also be noted that the high budget allocation was made
\npossible by Indonesia's impressive economic performance.<\/p>\n
Noted sociologist Ignas Kleden said, however, that budget was
\nnot the main problem.<\/p>\n
\"I think budget is not the main problem. The question is
\nwhether or not we have applied the correct philosophy for our
\neducation,\" Ignas added during an interview on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said the education system during the New Order era had
\ncompletely ignored the need to nurture the individual, to create
\nautonomous, independent, and accountable human beings.<\/p>\n
\"Without an education that can develop the maturity of each
\nindividual, we will only have mobs who can easily be used for any
\npurpose.\"<\/p>\n
Education, therefore, must also create individuals with a
\nmoral conscience and social awareness, he said.<\/p>\n
Actually Indonesia had a strong concept of education when
\npioneer educationist Ki Hadjar Dewantara introduced an informal
\nschool, Taman Siswa, in 1922.<\/p>\n
According to Ki Hadjar, education must be aimed at creating
\nhumans, either as individuals or members of their community, who
\nhave dignity and morality.<\/p>\n
The concept was adopted in Law No. 2\/1989 on National
\nEducation which states, \"The national education system aims at
\ncreating a nation of intellectuals and developing the Indonesian
\npeople as whole beings, people with faith in one God, who have
\nmorality, knowledge, skills, physical and mental health, a strong
\npersonality and a sense of responsibility toward the society and
\nnation.\"<\/p>\n
Although the concept is quite clear, Indonesia's education
\nsystem has failed to produce individuals as set out in the goals
\nof the law on national education.<\/p>\n
What's wrong with our education system?<\/p>\n
Educator Arief Rachman said the criteria set for good
\nperformance at school was one of the reasons behind the failure
\nin the education system. Almost all schools identified brilliant
\nstudents as those with high grades.<\/p>\n
\"We overlooked morality.\"<\/p>\n
Arief recently evaluated the current situation in the national
\neducation and revealed four weaknesses in the system.<\/p>\n
\"The four weaknesses are the low academic standards, the low
\nquality of teachers, librarians and staff, unequal access to
\neducation and the low quality of educational infrastructure,\" he
\npointed out.<\/p>\n
According to Arief, better education can be realized through
\nimprovement in the quality of teachers. Teachers should encourage
\nstudents to engage in discussion and debate instead of memorizing
\nthe right answers.<\/p>\n
In other words, Ignas added, achievement in education could be
\naccomplished through open discussion between teachers and
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
He suggested that the nation learn from the New Order
\nexperience, when education only produced \"yes persons\" instead of
\ncritical individuals.<\/p>\n
\"The authoritarian New Order government preferred obedient
\npeople to critical individuals,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Article 31 of the amended 1945 Constitution:<\/p>\n
1. Every citizen has the right to education.<\/p>\n
2. Every citizen shall have basic education and the government
\nshall finance it.<\/p>\n
3. The government sets up a national education system to improve
\nfaith, morality, and the intellectual capacity of the nation as
\nregulated further by law.<\/p>\n
4. The state shall give priority to the education budget by
\nallocating a minimum of 20 percent of the total state and
\nregional budgets to meet the costs of national education.<\/p>\n
5. The government develops science and technology by promoting
\nreligious values and national unity for the advancement of
\ncivilization and prosperity of mankind.<\/p>",
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