Educated elite

I wish to comment on remarks attributed to education expert J. Drost in your report 'Changes called for in national school curriculum' (May 1, 1996). As the operator of a "super school", Bogor International Pre-School, I am familiar with the limitations of the national school system and also with the difficulty of finding competent national teachers to employ. In my opinion, the entire national education system, beginning at the preschool level and including teacher training, urgently needs to be revamped.

I particularly wish to counter Drost's criticism of the super school trend. Proponents do not say "such facilities are Indonesia's answer to form a better educated elite." Indonesia already has "a better educated elite". They were all educated overseas. What super schools do is provide quality education to Indonesians in Indonesia, obviating the need to go overseas, with the attendant benefits of preserving family structure, creating jobs and preventing foreign exchange outflow.

Perhaps Drost says "we don't need super schools" because he is associated with that part of the private school system which used to provide the best education in Indonesia. Now, super schools have taken this position.

NINA STOLTZ

Bogor, West Java