Education must be given top priority

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has started his administration with some good gestures, like combating graft, creating a conducive environment for investment and enhancing law enforcement. These are very idealistic but it still needs to be proved whether they are achievable or not.

After his first 100 days in office, to be honest, I have not seen these good gestures implemented. If we want to find the reason why, maybe it is because the administration, like its predecessors, failed to plan out these programs beforehand.

I still cannot understand how we can get rid of graft if nearly all of the elements of society have been affected, in one way or another, by graft or corruption? Graft still happens when you apply for an ID card, driver's license and so on.

Why do such things happen? To my mind, it is because our educational system is rotting! How can you expect a teacher to teach good manners and behavior to his or her students, if he or she is not clean. Unless we start reforming the whole educational system, we can never expect the administration to succeed ion reversing the current situation in Indonesia.

Just look at our closest neighbor, Malaysia, and what it has been doing for the last 30 years with its educational system. Now Malaysia is well planned and the number of graft cases have been reduced to a very low level.

As an Indonesian, I find it pathetic and sad that we don't make education our top priority. Don't be surprised if within 10 years our young people are worse off than before. I see this looming on the horizon. FERRY AKBAR PASARIBU Bogota, Columbia