Education needs radical review

By Valentinus Irawan

JAKARTA (JP): As the yearly observation of National Education Day approaches, many teachers will be feeling uneasy. One reason for the uneasiness is that their salaries will be cut to "commemorate the occasion".

Although the cut has come to be taken for granted as a yearly routine measure, it is still worrisome. This is especially true if the recent increases in transportation costs are considered. In addition, there is inflation and the meager income of teachers in Indonesia.

The other reason is that -- as on every National Education Day -- the teachers are expected to again listen to the same speech from their superiors. This consists of rhetoric interspersed with such subjects as "development" and "modernization", "development of human resources", "science and technology", "link and match", "demand of the market", and others.

These are the terms which most often disturb the conscience of teachers who care deeply about educational practices and policies.

Most Indonesian teachers probably do not fully understand the meanings of the high-sounding words. But the teacher's concerns do not arise from their inability to grasp the meanings of those "mystical terms". It is the ever-widening gap between the ideal and the reality which confuses their humble minds.

Many decision makers as well as prominent persons have a tendency of telling the public that Indonesia needs to design its education to meet market demand and to develop its human resources, science and technology in order to achieve modernization.

For most teachers, these things seem to be out of the realm of their everyday experiences. What they face are textbooks full of foreign concepts that -- for the average student -- are hard to swallow, rigid lesson guides that leave no room for creativity and mostly passive students who shun their studies. Then there is the latest fad: student brawls.

Important questions need to be addressed, such as do the majority of Indonesians really need science and technology? If so, what kind of science and technology is appropriate for Indonesia? Is development and modernization really necessary? These fundamental questions are seldom being discussed.

Instead of developing a system of education that is based on a solid philosophical foundation, decision makers in the field of education seem to be more interested in devising an educational system that can best serve the industry.

The result is frustrated students who are more familiar with alcohol and drugs than with books, alienated students who do not hesitate to kill their friends when offended, or opportunistic students who prefer to cheat to obtain goods grades rather than work hard to acquire the knowledge which is necessary for their future.

When these students complete their studies and -- for whatever reasons -- the world of industry does not accept them, they will become jobless educated young people who have no experience to start their own businesses.

It is true that, to some extent, education needs to be linked with the realm of work. Young people should prepare themselves to join the workforce. For them, education (to a certain degree) can help ensure economic advancement and job security.

However, what is meant by "work" here must not be viewed as working in the industrial sector only. There are many ways to earn a living. Moreover, working is only one aspect among the various aspects of human beings. There are still many other aspects that may also be developed through education.

In addition, the biggest part of the population consists of farmers, fishermen and low-paid workers who earn their living from both the formal and informal sectors. For the children of this majority, a system of education that is oriented towards the science and high technology of the affluent North is not that suitable. It is only appropriate for students who want pursue studies a university education.

Most parents, however, do not have sufficient money to finance university education for their children. With the limited ability of the industry to accommodate the students who have completed their studies, and with the scant availability of up-to-date, quality science and technology curriculum at the primary and secondary education level, students will not be prepared to work in the industrial sector. What makes matters worse, their educational background does not teach them to be explorative, creative and innovative in dealing with life. Thus, the students are placed in an awkward and difficult position.

The experiences of our neighboring countries may well illustrate this point. Formal education in the Philippines and India, which adopted Western educational concepts, has reached a relatively high level of quality. Unfortunately, this achievement has not been followed by a corresponding improvement in the living standards of the majority of the two countries' populations.

Joblessness and poverty are still acute problems in the two countries. Also, in both countries, education to a certain degree even contributes to the widening gap between the very affluent minority and the poor majority.

In a country like Indonesia, where a great portion of the people live and work outside the industrial sector, it seems more appropriate to develop a model of education that is not geared to the western model, with its heavy emphasis on science and technology.

It is more reasonable to devise a system of education which pays attention to the most urgent practical needs of all the people, and especially to the needs of the students themselves.

Maybe it is better to invite students to satisfy their curiosity, develop their abilities and talents, and pursue their interests. The teachers need only to guide them in exploring the richness and many possibilities of life. Once the students have reached maturity and integrity, they will be ready to face life on their own.

It seems appropriate today to discuss these fundamental issues. We have been dwelling too long in the paradigm of development. Ideas concerning development are good for election campaigns, but in terms of education, they obstruct rather than enlighten students. Let's discuss the issues from the point of view of the students, the parents, the teachers, and the overall society.

The writer is a school teacher living in Bekasi.