Minor changes made to education bill<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A few minor changes have been made to the controversial bill on
\nthe national education system, but the debate over several
\ncrucial articles remains unresolved.<\/p>\n
Anwar Arifin, deputy chairman of House of Representatives
\nCommission VI for education and religious affairs, said on Friday
\nthree unresolved articles on educational goals and religious
\ninstruction remained after the special team set up to reformulate
\nthe bill completed its work on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He said a final decision on the three articles points would be
\nmade during a meeting between the House commission and the
\ngovernment on Monday.<\/p>\n
"Let's see what is decided on the unresolved articles on
\nMonday when all of the members of Commission VI and the
\ngovernment debate them," Anwar told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Commission VI accepted last week a draft of the bill from a
\nworking committee, with an attached note from the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) to review nine
\narticles. The articles, including the three still unresolved
\nones, were left to be debated by a team consisting of legislators
\nand government officials.<\/p>\n
The commission has asked the House to endorse the bill on May
\n20 to mark National Awakening Day, but it remains to be seen
\nwhether this schedule can be met. The House has still not set a
\ndate for a plenary session to endorse or reject the bill.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan has demanded that the special reformulation
\nteam ensure that all of the bill's articles conform with the
\npreamble of the amended 1945 Constitution, which says that the
\nstate is responsible for creating an educated nation.<\/p>\n
The party has also insisted that the national education system
\nbe set up to "educate people" rather that to "create devoted
\nhuman beings", as stated in the original draft of the bill.<\/p>\n
Regarding Article 13, which requires schools to provide
\nreligious instruction to students in their respective faiths, the
\nparty has suggested that the government leave the matter to
\nparents and schools.<\/p>\n
Other parties are seeking to revise another religious-related
\narticle to allow for the instruction of Confucianism to students
\nwho follow that religion.<\/p>\n
"We cannot consider Confucianism as a religion in the bill
\nbecause the Ministry of Religious Affairs has written us that the
\ngovernment has not recognized it as a religion," Anwar said.<\/p>\n
But the bill has been revised to allow Confucianism to be
\ntaught as soon as it is recognized by the government.<\/p>\n
Also revised was the article concerning falsified diplomas.
\nUnder the revised bill, issuing fake diplomas will be a crime
\nthat carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a Rp 500
\nmillion (US$55,000) fine. The previous draft only outlined
\npunishments for those who used fake diplomas.<\/p>\n
Anwar said the team also resolved the debate on academic
\nfreedom. The revised draft of the bill has scrapped limitations
\non academic freedom.<\/p>\n
Despite the revisions, the bill remains a source of
\ncontroversy among the public.<\/p>\n
The Cipayung Forum, comprising the Indonesian Muslim
\nUniversity Student Association, the Islamic Student Association,
\nthe Indonesian Christian Student Movement, the Indonesian
\nCatholic Student Union and the Indonesian Nationalist Student
\nMovement, has announced its opposition to the bill, Antara
\nreported.<\/p>\n
The Yogyakarta-based forum said the bill did not reflect the
\nspirit or value of education, nor did it improve the quality of
\nthe nation's life.<\/p>\n
But in South Kalimantan, the Indonesian Muslim Student Union
\nsaid the bill honored pluralism, particularly Article 13, which
\nthe group said ensured the right of every student to obtain
\ninstruction in their own religion. The group demanded that the
\nHouse endorse the bill.<\/p>",
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