Education must be given top priority

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