Changes called for in national school curricula
Changes called for in national school curricula
JAKARTA (JP): Education expert J. Drost S.J. proposed
yesterday cutting junior high school curricula from 42 hours a
week to 38 hours to help the nation's students face competition
in the globalization era.
"The curricula is too intense for students," Drost said in a
seminar called to review the national education system.
"Not everyone can follow it. Only 40 percent of primary
schools graduates can. What will happen to the rest of them?"
asked the staff lecturer at Atmajaya Catholic University and
former principal of Kanisius Senior High School.
"The system should not overburden junior high school students
because it is only intended to prepare them to enter senior high
schools and universities. It is not intended to get them jobs."
Drost said the current education system is not preparing
Indonesian children sufficiently for the globalization era.
"It is nonsense to talk about globalization. We have to
analyze and reorganize our education system from the primary to
university levels," he told participants at the seminar organized
by the Union of Indonesian Catholic Students.
Drost emphasized the need to revamp the junior high school
system and its curricula.
The seminar Critical Analysis of the National Education System
Toward the Globalization Era was opened by Joetata Hadihardaja,
the Director of Private Universities at the Ministry of Education
and Culture.
Sukowaluyo, a member of the House Commission IX for
educational affairs, in his presentation blamed the current
education system for the poor quality of Indonesian university
graduates.
He suspected that many schools are inflating the grades of
their students in order to bolster the images of their schools.
Drost criticized the current trend to establish "super"
schools in the country.
Proponents of "super" schools say such facilities are
Indonesia's answer to form a better educated elite.
"The term 'super' is inviting trouble and could lead to
misunderstanding. We have no need for super schools, unless
they're for art and cultural education," Drost said.
Rather than encouraging the establishment of super schools,
the government should improve the system so that high school
students are prepared to go to university or to look for jobs, he
said.
He said only 30 percent of senior high school students will go
to university and the rest will enter the work force.
The current system and the prevailing culture encourage
students to go to university, he said.
Parents tend to send their children to general schools rather
than vocational schools, which actually would better equip the
children with the skills they need when they look for work.
"It would be disastrous if all students were groomed for
university life when the intellectual preparedness of many is not
adequate," Drost said. (31)