Superschools<\/p>\n
I wish to draw a crucial link between three articles published
\nin The Jakarta Post (Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, 1996): Providing
\nsuperschools for all by John Phillips, and Mochtar Buchori's
\nViewpoint: Where do we go with a rigid school curriculum?; and a
\nrelated article, Decline in human resources quality worries
\ngovernment by Hermawan Sulistyo.<\/p>\n
Mochtar Buchori reiterates the complaints of (state education
\nsystem) teachers, i.e. "the teaching profession has been degraded
\ninto a job without sufficient financial remuneration, without
\nsocial status and without self-respect. It has become a job
\nfitting only for third rate minds." Since the entire state
\neducational system is, in fact, part of the state bureaucracy,
\nthe same point is made by Sulistyo when he states that "the civil
\nservice now attracts only the least talented job seekers". Given
\nthis scenario, is there hope for much improvement in the
\neducational system?<\/p>\n
Phillips in his article concludes that "superschools are
\nreadily available and relatively inexpensive," and then adds that
\nproviding them "means altering the entire educational system..."
\nThe poor quality of the state educational system is a major cause
\nof the emergence of superschools. Sulistyo clearly and very
\nboldly states why we should, unfortunately, have little hope for
\nmajor improvement in the state educational system in the near
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
Despite Phillips' optimism, I think it is clear that the state
\ncannot presently provide superschools to all. What it can do,
\nhowever, is provide incentives to superschools (if not financial,
\nat least in terms of reduced bureaucracy and increased freedom
\nconcerning curriculum and employment of foreigners).
\nSuperschools, aside from educating many Indonesians, provide
\nworking examples to the state system and a trickle-down effect is
\ninevitable. There are many ways to facilitate the trickling-down;
\nfor example inter-school exchange visits by teachers would
\nincrease awareness of both parties of the gap in quality of
\neducation.<\/p>\n
There should be no question about this gap. Studies in
\ndeveloping countries, including Colombia, the Dominican Republic,
\nthe Philippines, Tanzania and Thailand, conclude that "when
\nstudent background and sample selection biases are held constant,
\nstudents in private schools outperform students in public schools
\non verbal and mathematics achievement tests." (Reference: E.
\nJimenez, M.E. Lockheed and V. Paquco: The relative efficiency of
\nprivate and public schools in developing countries. The World
\nBank Research Observer 6(2):205-218, 1991).<\/p>\n
NINA STOLTZ<\/p>\n
Bogor, West Java<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/superschools-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }