Five steps to better education

Indonesia has fallen behind other countries in education.

I think there are five points to consider for the advancement of education in this country.

First, parents and teachers should be obliged to give instructions to students about their study objectives. The students should be encouraged to study seriously and systematically. They should be given the opportunity to ask questions on the material being taught. They should be discouraged from playing hooky, copying from others, smoking, taking drugs and engaging in fights.

Second, parents should not be turned into cash cows. They should be spared the expense of paying contributions for uniform shoes, illustrated writing books, show tickets, extra books, the construction of school gates and other things not discussed in parent-teacher meetings.

Third, teachers should stop taking the easy way out to solve the problem of their low pay, e.g. forcing students to buy extra books, join extra lessons which are unnecessary and raise student grades in exchange for money. Teachers need to strengthen their association (PGRI) to make it an effective tool for improving teachers' welfare. They should also be encouraged to deepen their knowledge to improve themselves in their profession.

Fourth, officials at the education and culture ministry should stop curtailing teachers' salaries, selling higher grades, levying commissions on the supply of goods (shoes, tickets, books, etc.). Switch to other activities to solve money problems rather than burdening students' parents or teachers, such as fighting for a larger share in the national budget for education so salaries will increase. Leading political figures who, during the election campaign promised to improve education, should fight hard to fulfill their promise. They should act before their constituents call for accountability.

Finally, businesspeople should cease using the existing facilities and practicing monopolies in order to obtain the highest profit in the shortest possible time. They should honor business ethics by supplying quality products at affordable prices.

The quality of education in Indonesia will improve significantly if there is a concrete change in the mental attitude of the community.

BASUKI

Bekasi, West Java