Scholar slams 'link and match' concept<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government's program linking schools and
\nuniversities to the needs of the industrial world goes against
\nthe basic concept of education, literature expert Umar Kayam
\nsays.<\/p>\n
The \"link and match\" program has created partitions in
\nIndonesia's world of education, the professor of literature at
\nYogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
\"This program forces a child to study and master one field
\nonly,\" Umar said at a ceremony to launch a book by Eko
\nBudihardjo, the dean of the School of Technology at Semarang's
\nDiponegoro University, Monday.<\/p>\n
\"We really should ask, why are we teaching our children?\" he
\nsaid, adding that the basic concept of education was to instill a
\nstrong general knowledge foundation in children from primary
\nschool to university.<\/p>\n
The \"link and match\" program, the brainchild of Minister of
\nEducation and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro, was launched four
\nyears ago in response to complaints from industry about the poor
\nquality of Indonesian school and university graduates.<\/p>\n
Under the scheme, the government has introduced measures such
\nas revamping school curricula and introducing sandwich courses at
\nvocational schools, streamlining the number of study programs at
\nuniversities and opening more polytechnics.<\/p>\n
Wardiman said in Padang yesterday that the \"link and match\"
\nprogram is also aimed at preventing the recurrence of unemployed
\nuniversity graduates because no one wanted their skills.<\/p>\n
Speaking after installing Marlis Rahman as the new Andalas
\nUniversity rector, the minister said Indonesia should build 150
\nmore polytechnics in the next 25 years, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Umar said he feared for Indonesian education, with the \"link
\nand match\" program coming on top of the frequent changes to
\nnational education curricula in schools and universities.<\/p>\n
\"This partitioning is detrimental to us all,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian education should really produce people with general
\nknowledge, not specialists, he said.<\/p>\n
Because children were encouraged to take specialized studies
\nfrom primary school until university, graduates tended to lack
\nperspective in academic and humanity matters, he said.<\/p>\n
This is the case with virtually everyone, whether they
\ngraduated in medicine, technology, economy, literature or another
\nfield, he said.<\/p>\n
Even within schools of literature, what is taught in one
\nprogram can be so different to another, that students tend not to
\ncommunicate with one another, he said.<\/p>\n
Some so-called language experts were not even familiar with
\nIndonesian literature because it was not required reading, Umar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said that what had been known as liberal arts studies had
\ndisappeared in Indonesia because of the specialization introduced
\nfrom senior high school on.<\/p>\n
\"Ideally, all the basic subjects should be taught so students
\nare prepared to face social and cultural realities when they
\ngraduate,\" Umar said. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/scholar-slams-link-and-match-concept-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}