Indonesia still struggling with ABCs of education<\/p>\n
Leo Landep, Contributor, Jakarta, leolandep@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government is failing to uphold the
\nConstitution.<\/p>\n
That sentiment was not expressed by the late founding father
\nof Indonesian education, Ki Hadjar Dewantara, who was famous for
\nhis struggles with the Dutch colonial government for fair laws,
\nespecially those relating to education for Indonesians.<\/p>\n
In fact, it was no less than President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono, who, on Dewantara's birthday on May 2 -- celebrated as
\nnational Education Day -- said that after 60 years of
\nindependence the government was still unable to meet the
\nconstitutional requirement related to the amount of money spent
\non education.<\/p>\n
The President also said the entire system of education,
\nincluding providing at least nine years of free education for all
\nchildren, school facilities and remuneration for teachers, had to
\nbe revamped immediately. The sad thing about all this, he added,
\nis that Indonesia lags behind many countries as far as education
\nand human resource is concerned.<\/p>\n
If Dewantara -- Indonesia's first education minister -- was
\nalive today, he would no doubt be exasperated with all of the
\nproblems besetting the country, like the corrupt and slow-moving
\nbureaucracy and its handling of the future of the country's
\nyounger generations.<\/p>\n
A great believer in education as a means to broaden one's
\nhorizons and improve intelligence, Dewantara would also be
\noutraged at the way education is treated. In his day, naturally,
\neducation was a way to fight for freedom. Even today, in a
\nbroader sense of the word, it still is.<\/p>\n
Dewantara set up Taman Siswa, the first Indonesian school,
\neventually grew into an education foundation, on July 22, 1922.
\nDays before its establishment, he said: \"We have attacked the
\nenemy's fortress for quite some time now, so I think we should
\nnow build, as well, a strong one for ourselves.\"<\/p>\n
It would be interesting to see how the great educator would
\nuse his skills, strategies and especially his wisdom to get
\nthings done in today's environment.<\/p>\n
Because in his day he had to face a foreign government, the
\nDutch, it would be unfair to compare the results he obtained
\nthrough the various methods and means available at the time with
\nwhat could be accomplished today.<\/p>\n
For example, the rapid growth of Taman Siswa to more than 100
\nbranches throughout the nation, along with its magazines and
\nradio station, was seen as a serious threat to the colonial
\nauthorities. A law on \"wild\" or \"illegally established schools\"
\nwas passed by the Dutch government not only to curb its growth
\nbut check its existence.<\/p>\n
A fiery telegram Dewantara sent to the governor-general
\nspurred nationwide support from various parties, religious
\nsocieties, other indigenous schools and ethnic Chinese and Arab
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
As a precautionary step, Dewantara also prepared a nationwide
\nprogram to spread education even further: \"Each person should
\nteach himself and transfer knowledge to many others. Each house
\nshould become an educational institute.\"<\/p>\n
After questioning by an Indonesian member of the legislature,
\nthe law on \"illegally established schools\" was annulled. This was
\nonly one of Dewantara's victories.<\/p>\n
His greatest victory arrived when the country became
\nindependent on Aug. 17, 1945. For him, this meant not only
\nbecoming free of Dutch rule. It meant thinking, breathing, living
\nin a totally free environment. For Dewantara and other like-
\nminded Indonesians, their free minds and spirits knew no
\nboundaries. And a proper education was obviously essential.<\/p>\n
Besides being appointed as the very first minister of
\neducation, which was his top priority, Dewantara was also given
\nno less than 14 other important positions.<\/p>\n
After 60 years of independence, the relatively small number of
\nreputable local schools and educational institutions that the
\ncountry can boast of, together with some international schools
\nthat are on a par with schools in other countries, is a far cry
\nfrom what Dewantara envisioned and fought for.<\/p>\n
It is an embarrassment that in the 21st century, when many
\nother countries take a free and quality education for granted,
\nIndonesia is still struggling just to cure the basic \"ailments\"
\nof its education system and seems at a loss to provide basic
\nfacilities and infrastructure. And all this while other sectors
\nreceive hefty budgets.<\/p>\n
Would it help to remind everyone that the great man's spirit
\nlives on? And that his almost single-handed efforts and
\nsacrifices should not be wasted?<\/p>",
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