Discipline essential for ISI

Two articles side-by-side in The Jakarta Post on Friday, Dec. 5 caught my eye. The first announced that Dr. Made Bandem has been inaugurated as the new rector of the Institut Seni Indonesia (Indonesian Arts Institute, or ISI) in Yogyakarta. I was pleased to read of that as Dr. Bandem has a worldwide reputation as a music scholar. His contribution on Balinese music to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, for example, is a model of concise discourse backed up by evidence and immense knowledge. But Dr. Bandem also wears another hat; he is a member of the People's Consultative Assembly, and his experiences there will be invaluable in the administration of Indonesia's premier arts institution.

Dr. Bandem's skills are sorely needed. The second article reported that of 12 courses offered by ISI seven have lost their accreditation with the National Accreditation Board. I am not at all surprised that over 50 percent of the courses were considered to be below standard. Five years ago I was a visiting professor at the Western Music department of ISI, so I have first hand experience. Any cataloging of mismanagement, dubious dealings and lack of discipline of the poorly paid staff I encountered there would be both pointless and boring to your readers. But one telling anecdote will suffice.

Five minutes before I was due to give a lesson, my immediate superior asked to see me about some minor administrative matter. I was greeted warmly and asked to sit down and have tea. I thanked him, but pointed out I had to give a composition lesson to a student in five minutes. This he ignored, the tea was brought and we pursued our discussion. Ten minutes later I was edgy; I had previously impressed upon all my students the need for discipline, especially in timekeeping ("Who will employ you if you turn up late for rehearsals?") and here I was already very late for a lesson. Another 10 minutes went by; the conversation was not important and by now had gone off on a tangent. I summoned up the courage to differ with my superior, "I'm very sorry Doctor, but I must go. I am already very late for a lesson." He waved his hand airily. "Oh! don't worry." He said in English. "It's only a student."

And there you have the crux of the problem. I am sure ISI is not alone in Indonesian Higher Education for not being student based. Whilst you have top-heavy institutions which seem to exist solely for the advantage of the staff and not for the benefit of the students, Indonesia's worldwide reputation for learning will suffer and students will be discontent.

I wish Dr. Bandem well in his new position. I hope he gets the support he needs to ensure ISI will again be the great institution it once was, and no longer suffer the ignominy of having seven of its courses supervised by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

ROBERT WALKER

Amlapura, Bali