English language schools

English language schools

While I thank Robert Shepherd (The Jakarta Post, March 29,
1996, on page 5) for his comments on the English language school
business, I would like to clarify his confusion. How rich people
spend their money is not my concern, but whether Indonesia has
sufficient English speakers for development and English teachers
to train them is. I suggest looking to economics.

Shepherd's free market assumes there is no effect of
government, but education is a joint matter. If work is
artificially devalued (English teaching by Indonesians) by the
choices made in the private market (hiring false foreign experts)
and actions taken in the public sector (limiting wages), the
value of the market will not reflect the true value of the
activity to society.

Thus, Indonesia needs more English speakers than the private
market can supply, so it must be met by public action. But,
unless all Indonesian English teachers become better at teaching
English and are rewarded sufficiently to remain teachers --
instead of being siphoned off by the private sector's need for
good English speakers -- there will be insufficient English
teachers and speakers.

Also, none of the countries cited have as large a population
or as great a need for playing catch-up in the world technology
race (one increasingly focused on media access and communication-
information exchange). Finally, private education already acts as
a "class barrier" mechanism. If only those who can afford good
education (and by implication good English education) are private
wealthy individuals, then the cost to society will be much
greater than in dollars and cents. This is what I mean by afford.

JOHN MICHAEL PHILLIPS

Yogyakarta