Education experts call for greater school autonomy

JAKARTA (JP): Education experts called on Tuesday for greater autonomy for schools to allow them to employ their own teaching methods without being hampered by rigid guidelines that often do not correspond with local conditions.

It is through such freedom, they said, that basic national curriculum standards can be reached.

"We all agree that a basic national curriculum must be retained, but the schools must be given a free rein to implement their own methods in complying with the standard curriculum," Ki Supriyoko, the chairman of the Yogyakarta-based Taman Siswa education foundation, said during a seminar here on the national school curriculum.

Schools have their own experience in teaching pupils and the government should trust them, he said.

"Therefore, rigid guidelines for teaching and requirements from what to teach to what books to read, should no longer be imposed," he said, adding that "such guidelines only hamper the creativity of teachers and of the whole learning process".

Supriyoko further said that schools such as Taman Siswa, Muhamadiyah and Catholic schools already had proven experience in the education field and therefore were entitled to employ their own methods to meet national curriculum standards.

"The central government's only function here is as a regulator. For instance, the curriculum says that English must be mastered in junior high school.

"Each school must be able to meet this requirement, but let them have their own ways to fulfill the requirement without being stifled by having to follow the guidelines," Supriyoko said.

Taman Siswa will meet in Yogyakarta in March with its Java and Sumatra chapters to discuss the possibility of developing their own lessons and teaching materials, Supriyoko said.

He also said local administrations were not ready to manage education programs under the regional autonomy framework, pointing out there were no clear regulations to guide them.

"Law No. 22/1999 says education will be handled by the regions, but government regulation No. 25/1999 says the central government will regulate the national curriculum ... so, basically, it is confusing," he said.

Education expert J. Drost agreed, saying regional autonomy also would result in unintended consequences for the education field.

"Schools must have a greater say in education and in meeting the national curriculum. How many regents do you think are smart enough to handle such complicated issues?" he remarked.

"In Banten there is even a case where some 12 people cannot be promoted as teachers simply because they are not Banten natives. It's crazy! Regional autonomy is about sharing authority, not about ethnic pride," Drost, who is a former principal of the prestigious Canisius High School, told The Jakarta Post. (edt/02)