Deputy Speaker of the People\u2019s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Lestari\nMoerdijat has said that education should not be oriented solely towards\nmarket logic. Instead, education must be capable of producing\nindividuals who are critical, cultured, and possess strong character, in\nline with the ideals of Ki Hajar Dewantara.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur education system is currently at a crossroads and requires\ntransformation to produce not only graduates with technical skills, but\nalso the capacity for critical thinking and the ability to apply their\nknowledge,\u201d Lestari Moerdijat said on Tuesday (11\/8\/2026).<\/p>\n
A report by the Institute for Economic and Social Research at the\nFaculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia (LPEM FEB\nUI), published in Labor Market Brief Volume 7, Number 7, July 2026, ISSN\n2808-2060, reveals a trend of overeducation among university graduates.\nOvereducation is a phenomenon in which graduates work in jobs that do\nnot require the level of education they have attained.<\/p>\n
According to the report, approximately 8.01 million university\ngraduates in Indonesia are working in positions that do not match their\neducational qualifications, or are below standard (underemployment).\nThis data from LPEM FEB UI serves as a serious alarm regarding the gap\nbetween the education system and the needs of the national labour\nmarket.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis phenomenon shows that the growth of educated workers is faster\nthan the creation of jobs requiring high-level skills,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
According to Lestari, this situation arises partly because of the\nweak link between education programmes, graduate competencies, and\nemployer needs. She argued that collective synergy is needed to\nrestructure the education system so that it aligns with economic needs\nwithout disregarding national values.<\/p>\n
In her view, careful planning is required between expanding access to\nhigher education and creating productive professional employment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe success of higher education cannot be measured solely by the\nnumber of graduates, but by their ability to contribute optimally to\nstrengthening the foundations of national economic growth,\u201d she\nconcluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/moerdijat-education-must-not-only-be-market-oriented-but-also-build-character-1786456408", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }