Local educators get cold feet as liberalization looms<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja
\nand Sri Wahyuni
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
An education expert warned on Sunday that extensive
\nliberalization of education would threaten the existence of local
\nuniversities.<\/p>\n
Mochtar Buchori, a doctor in education from Harvard University
\nin the U.S., said that allowing foreign universities to set up
\nshop here would deprive local universities of top students and
\nlecturers.<\/p>\n
\"People with money and intellectual ability will choose to go
\nto the foreign universities, leaving only second-grade students
\nfor local universities,\" Mochtar told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
He further said that with their limited ability to compete
\nwith foreign universities, liberalization would in the end only
\nsideline local colleges.<\/p>\n
\"Some of the reasons these local universities give for
\nrejecting liberalization are acceptable. So, the entry of foreign
\nuniversities needs to be regulated,\" Mochtar said.<\/p>\n
He was commenting on a recent statement by Minister of Trade
\nMari Elka Pangestu that the government was committed to
\nliberalizing the education sector in line with World Trade
\nOrganization (WTO) policies, but promised this would take the
\ncondition of local colleges into account.<\/p>\n
The Forum of Indonesian Rectors (FRI) and the State
\nUniversities Rectors' Council (MR-PTN) are preparing a statement
\nrejecting liberalization of the education sector.<\/p>\n
Education is one of the global services sectors covered by the
\nGeneral Agreement of Trade in Services (GATS) under the WTO plan,
\nwhich would allow overseas based universities to open branches in
\nIndonesia, and allow foreign lecturers to teach in Indonesian
\nuniversities.<\/p>\n
Mari contended that should the country remain closed to
\nforeign-based universities, more Indonesian students would go
\nabroad for their education.<\/p>\n
Gadjah Mada University (UGM) rector Sofian Effendi said the
\nrejection on liberalization on the part of the local education
\nsector was based on the argument that education also served as
\na means of transferring the country's values and principles, and
\nof ensuring that students developed a proper sense of \"national
\nidentity\".<\/p>\n
He underlined that imparting skills and knowledge were not the
\nonly responsibilities of educational institutions.<\/p>\n
\"We will continue to internationalize our education under the
\nUNESCO program. However, this should not involve the WTO as
\neducation is not the same as other tradable services,\" Sofian
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He was referring to the United Nations Educational, Scientific
\nand Cultural Organization (UNESCO).<\/p>\n
The rector underlined that this was not because local
\nuniversities were afraid to compete, but rather it was a matter
\nof national identity.<\/p>\n
\"Internationalization should mean improving the quality of the
\neducation sector, not opening up foreign-based universities
\nhere,\" Sofian said.<\/p>\n
Mochtar agreed, saying that the government needed to regulate
\nthe entry of foreign universities into the country so as to
\nensure that local universities continued to survive.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/local-educators-get-cold-feet-as-liberalization-looms-1447893297",
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