Korea helps RI vocational schools<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post\/Bangkok<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government is working with South Korea and several
\nother countries to provide training centers that will link
\nvocational students to industries, an official said.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of National Education's Director of Technical and
\nVocational Education Gatot Hari Priowirjanto told The Jakarta
\nPost that South Korea had agreed to establish the centers for
\nautomotive, IT, manufacturing and tourism.<\/p>\n
A Thai vocational university has also agreed to an exchange of
\nstudents and lecturers with Indonesia, he said.<\/p>\n
Gatot was in Bangkok to take part in a United Nations
\nEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
\nmeeting on vocational education, where he met Colombo Plan Staff
\nCollege for Technician Education's director general Park Man-gon
\nof South Korea.<\/p>\n
\"Dr. Park agreed to facilitate cooperation between Indonesia
\nand South Korea, including the provision of a joint training
\ninstitution with South Korean industry,\" Gatot said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"This will allow our vocational students to gain work
\nexperience at South Korean factories as well as more knowledge of
\nKorean culture.\"<\/p>\n
An initial agreement has also been struck with the Korean
\nUniversity of Technology on an exchange of lecturers, Gatot
\nadded.<\/p>\n
He said that a close link with industries was the only way to
\nensure a strong vocational education system.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes there are simply not enough teachers for certain
\nkinds of study, such as animation and broadcasting. In such
\ncases, we'll ask professional animators or broadcasters to
\nprovide the modules for students and teach them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A teacher's presence is not necessary, as a class could be
\nconducted through video conferencing via satellite, according to
\nGatot.<\/p>\n
\"Currently we lease 8 megahertz of bandwidth, using only one-
\nquarter of a Telkom satellite's transponder to transmit our
\ndistance learning materials.<\/p>\n
\"The materials are not only on vocational skills but also on
\nsubjects such as mathematics and English, which are also taught
\nat schools and in the surrounding community,\" said Gatot.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has about 5,800 vocational high schools with more
\nthan 100 subjects.<\/p>\n
The ministry has introduced long-distance learning through 100
\nvocational schools in five regencies and mayoralties. The number
\nof towns will be increased to 25 by the end of this month and to
\n40 by the end of this year, Gatot said.<\/p>\n
Minister of National Education Bambang Sudibyo is scheduled to
\nofficially launch satellite-based distance learning in Tahuna,
\nSangihe Talaud Island in North Sulawesi, at the end of this
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
The project costs about Rp 260 billion (US$26.8 million),
\nalmost a quarter of the amount required to fund a pure satellite-
\nbased system, in which all schools get a satellite dish, a
\nreceiver and a TV.<\/p>\n
To save money, the ministry uses relay antennas to transmit
\nmaterials from designated schools up to a radius of 25
\nkilometers.<\/p>\n
\"This way students from other schools and residents around the
\ndesignated schools can also benefit from our distance learning
\nprogram. All they have to do is tune into the distance learning
\nchannels.\"<\/p>\n
The ministry plans to increase the bandwidth to four
\ntransponders with a capacity of 72 megahertz of which 24
\nmegahertz will be used for the distance learning channels and the
\nremainder for Internet connection.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/korea-helps-ri-vocational-schools-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}