Questionable diplomas<\/p>\n
The disclosure of an additional 19 more unlicensed educational
\ninstitutes by the police, aside from Institut Manajemen Global
\nIndonesia (IMGI), as reported in The Jakarta Post, Aug. 24, has
\nfurther startled this nation. The IMGI has, since 1997, issued
\n9,000 fake diplomas, some to a former vice president, former
\nministers, a former senior police officer and Muslim clerics.<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, prior to the disclosure of the
\nIMGI case, voiced doubts about the S2 and S3 degrees listed
\nbehind the names of would-be regents and mayors. As a matter of
\nfact, the IMGI has branches in no fewer than 26 major cities in
\nthe country. It has \"inaugurated\" 103 professors, issued 1,060
\ndoctorates, 288 PhDs, 948 Master's of Science and 2,999 Masters
\nof Business Administration to mention but a few (Republika, Aug.
\n25).<\/p>\n
Big wigs who bought such diplomas simply think about showing
\noff to their people or using Plato's adage that only the
\nPhilosopher King is entitled to lead a country and\/or a region.
\nBut they forget that it was intellectual integrity that Plato
\nmeant. By buying degrees for a few million rupiah, they think
\npeople will judge their personal capacity positively, while their
\nactions speak otherwise, that is enriching themselves at the
\nexpense of their people.<\/p>\n
This lack of integrity -- in the case of regional leaders --
\nhas created oases of prosperity in the desert of poverty. The
\nrecent disclosure of severe malnutrition in many of the country's
\nprovinces has shown how regional leaders misuse their budgets.
\nThese leaders, be they governors, regents, mayors or high-ranking
\nofficials, including local councilors -- some with fake diplomas
\n-- without proper accountability, abuse the state and\/or local
\nbudget for their own personal or group interests.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, it is quite paradoxical, that while the
\nmajority of people in the country still feel the pinch of the
\nhigh cost of education that forces children to help their parents
\nin rice fields or find work, some of the \"haves\", rather than
\nattending formal classes to obtain legal diplomas, choose to buy
\nfake diplomas to boost their careers.<\/p>\n
What would a nation be with leaders without integrity and
\naccountability?<\/p>\n
Therefore, it is the responsibility of the education ministry,
\nin cooperation with the police, to immediately close down these
\nunlicensed institutions once and for all.<\/p>\n
M. RUSDI, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/questionable-diplomas-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }