'A fundamental change is required'

'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