'A fundamental change is required'

The closing down of an unlicensed educational institution and the prosecution of both its operators and those who obtained diplomas from the institution has given rise to questions regarding the country's education system. The Jakarta Post interviewed residents on what the authorities should do to regain public trust.

Ardzuna Sinaga, 27, is an urban designer:

It is really absurd that people buy degrees. But that happens only because our education system prompts such action. In order to get a job, you need a certificate. It does not matter where it comes from.

Our community still determines someone's intellectual competence from a single piece of paper. It would be difficult to shift such a paradigm. However, it always comes back to personal judgment and morality.

I personally could not care less whether I obtain a master's degree. Luckily for me, I work in a field where skills and competence are proven by hard work instead of degrees.

But, I do not think anyone can have that privilege. Doctors, for example, will always be judged by the degree they hold. That is just how our system works.

Nanang Sugianto, 26, is an engineer at a manufacturing factory in Bekasi:

I think these people buy degrees because of social pressure. Nowadays, it has also become economic pressure. I mean people would do just about anything, including buying degrees, to obtain a high social status as well as economic benefits.

If you have the skills, you should not worry about such formal requirements. However, our bureaucracy and structure do not encourage that. Candidates are shortlisted by their curriculum vitae and, in a way, also by what degree they hold.

As long as our education system is not reformed, there will always be cases like this. No matter how hard the police try, it is a fundamental change that is required.

-- The Jakarta Post