Local education no guarantee of nationalism<\/p>\n
President B.J. Habibies's recent proposal that young
\nIndonesians should be barred from studying abroad has invited
\npros and cons. Mochtar Buchori, an observer of social and
\ncultural affairs, discusses the relevance of such a proposal.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Is it true that sending children abroad to study
\nat an early age will make them less nationalistic or even
\nanationalistic?<\/p>\n
That is what the government fears. But is this fear realistic?
\nOr is it merely a policy to discourage parents from sending their
\nchildren abroad at an early age? What is meant by early age? Is
\nthe practice of sending children abroad for secondary education,
\nfor instance, educationally faulty, and thus to be disapproved?<\/p>\n
Let us examine the issue by using a hypothetical example. If
\nyou have a very bright son or daughter who passes his or her
\nfinal high school exam at the age of 16, and you have the means
\nto send him or her abroad for a college education, by this new
\nregulation you cannot do that. You have to wait for another two
\nyears. If you persist, and send him or her abroad anyway, he or
\nshe will become an Indonesian without a sufficient sense of
\nnationalism. He or she will become an estranged Indonesian. That
\nis the argument according to this regulation. Does it make sense?<\/p>\n
There is no simple answer to this question, I am afraid. But
\nthere are at least three remarks that can be made about this
\nregulation.<\/p>\n
First, what is the percentage of Indonesian parents who can
\nafford to send their children abroad to study before the age of
\n18? Very small, I think. Does it make sense to issue a government
\nregulation for such a tiny minority? I think not.<\/p>\n
Secondly, what is the precise meaning of the stipulation
\nbefore the age of 18? It can be anywhere between birth and 17
\nyears and 11 months. At what age before 18 do most parents want
\nto send their children to study abroad?<\/p>\n
I think 13. The age period between 13 and 18 is usually
\nconsidered a critical time to prepare for the rigorous academic
\nlife at the university level.<\/p>\n
Parents who have high academic ambitions for their children
\nusually have prep schools in mind when they decide to send their
\nchildren abroad at an early age.<\/p>\n
What this government regulation amounts to is that no
\nIndonesian boy or girl will ever have the opportunity to benefit
\nfrom the rich educational programs offered by schools with very
\nrich histories and very good reputations. I think this will
\neventually create a lamentable situation.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, is it true that starting to study abroad before the
\nage of 18 will reduce one's sense of nationalism? Conversely, is
\nit true that a secondary education at home will make children
\nacquire a solid basis for nationalism?<\/p>\n
I think this is a very delicate question that requires careful
\nanalysis to answer. As I understand it, nationalism has two
\naspects -- a moral and an intellectual one.<\/p>\n
From the moral aspect, having a sense of nationalism means
\nthat one has a moral commitment to do something for the
\npreservation of the existence of one's nation and for the
\ncontinuous improvement of its quality of life. Expressed in
\npopular terms, having a sense of nationalism means that one loves
\none's nation.<\/p>\n
On the intellectual side, having a sense of nationalism means
\nthat one has an adequate understanding of the problems faced by
\none's nation and the potentials that exist within that nation.
\nOne cannot have a sound sense of nationalism if one is
\nintellectually blind or if one has a distorted perception
\nconcerning the condition of the nation.<\/p>\n
It is only when one is sufficiently mature in these two
\naspects that one will be able to develop a healthy nationalism;
\ni.e. a nationalism that is free from chauvinism or any other kind
\nof cultural defect. One such culturally defective nationalism is
\nthe one that is described by Erich Fromm as a form of incest,
\nidolatry and insanity. This kind of nationalism changes
\npatriotism from a sense of responsibility into a cult.<\/p>\n
What does this mean in terms of education? Any system of
\neducation which purports to cultivate a healthy sense of
\nnationalism among its students will have to ensure that three
\ntypes of growth will indeed take place in the students. These
\nthree types of growth are growth in their knowledge about the
\ncondition of the country (cognitive growth), growth in their love
\nand affection toward the country (affective growth) and growth in
\ntheir commitment toward the nation (volitional growth).<\/p>\n
If these three educational tasks are performed satisfactorily,
\nthen we can say that there is indeed an educational process
\ntaking place that leads toward the cultivation of a healthy
\nnationalism.<\/p>\n
But if students show only one or two of these three required
\ngrowths, then there is no sufficient basis for claiming that the
\nschool system is providing an education that cultivates
\nnationalism.<\/p>\n
How is the condition of Indonesia's schools in this respect?
\nIt is impossible to give an accurate generalization, however, I
\nsuspect that the situation varies widely from one school to
\nanother.<\/p>\n
One thing that is sure, however, is that in almost all of our
\nschools insufficient attention has been given to the development
\nof the moral aspect of nationalism. For this reason, there is, in
\nmy opinion, insufficient ground for claiming that formal
\neducation at domestic secondary schools guarantees the growth of
\na healthy nationalism among students.<\/p>\n
I think that for the purpose of cultivating nationalism,
\npursuing a secondary education at home is indeed better than
\nstudying abroad. But the argument I would use is not because our
\nschools are better equipped for this purpose, but because within
\nour society, there are cultural forces outside the school which
\nshape this sense of nationalism among our youth.<\/p>\n
Social experiences at the local level and emotive perceptions
\nof important events at the national level are just such forces.<\/p>\n
If the purpose of the present government regulation is to
\ndiscourage parents from sending their children abroad for
\nsecondary education, then the right measure is not to restrict
\nparents' freedom in their search for quality education for their
\nchildren, but to improve the quality of education at home.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/local-education-no-guarantee-of-nationalism-1447893297",
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