Govt told to keep cool over distance classes
Govt told to keep cool over distance classes
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
House of Representatives legislators have suggested that the
government respond wisely to several state universities which are
now running long-distance classes for graduate management
degrees.
House Commission VI for social affairs member Muhammadi said
there was no reason to object to the long-distance classes
provided the institutions which organized the classes managed to
maintain high standards and avoid becoming trapped in money-
making activities.
Muhammadi said the government lacked a strong basis to ban the
programs if it turned a blind eye to the fact that the country
was in need of more management experts in the face of the free
trade era.
"The government should have offered quality universities more
opportunities to expand their educational activities beyond
provincial boundaries in order to fill the gap," Muhammadi said
as quoted by Antara.
"The government is not supposed to intervene too far in
educational affairs due to the implementation of regional
autonomy."
Muhammadi was speaking at a hearing with outgoing Gadjah Mada
University (UGM) rector Ichlasul Amal and his entourage on
Thursday regarding the Ministry of National Education's recent
ban of the classes.
The ministry has stopped its subsidies to the Yogyakarta-based
state university for ignoring the government's call for an end to
the program.
Other state higher education institutions, the Padjadjaran
University in Bandung and the Bandung Institute of Technology,
have agreed to shut down their offices in Jakarta and other towns
outside Bandung.
The main reason for the ban is a fear of degradation of
educational quality through long-distance learning services.
Director General of Higher Education Satryo Soemantri
Brodjonegoro said that state universities which profited from the
long-distance classes could encourage the improper pursuit of
academic titles in the society, which is against the ideals of
education.
UGM opened its classes in Jakarta on Jl. Gondangdia, Central
Jakarta last year, with a student paying between Rp 35 million
(US$3,500) and Rp 45 million per program.
Muhammadi questioned the government's double standards in
dealing with the matter by allowing a Malaysian university to
open a branch in Indonesia.
House Commission VI Taufikurrahman chairman Saleh shared
Muhammadi's view, saying that democracy and regional autonomy
should enable all parts of the nation, including state
universities, to improve their creativity and self-reliance.
"I think the ministry is unfair (in punishing UGM) as it fails
to differentiate long-distance classes run by unknown
universities from those administered by quality universities," he
said, adding that the commission would invite Minister of
National Education Malik Fajar to discuss the issue.
He suggested, however, that the concerned state universities
take the government's policy positively.
"The ban implies that those state universities should comply
with the rules and nature of higher education," he said.