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