Govt told to treat vocational education institutions fairly
<p>Govt told to treat vocational education institutions fairly</p><p> JAKARTA (JP): An observer asked the government on Wednesday to
treat vocational education institutions and their graduates
equally with other higher educational institutions, including
universities.</p><p>President Director of the Indonesian Institute for Education
and Development of Professions (LP3I) Tengku Zulkarnain said on
Wednesday that many vocational education institutions in the
country, including LP3I, were only considered as institutes which
conducted study courses.</p><p>"We provide diploma programs for high school graduates, just
like universities," said Tengku, a former English linguistics
lecturer at North Sumatra State University (USU) in Medan.</p><p>"Our graduates cannot continue their education in universities
or colleges because of LP31 status as a course center. They have
to start again from the first semester although they have already
learned the first semester subjects of the universities and
passed the tests," he added.</p><p>He said that the regulations of the Ministry of National
Education ruled that institutions, like LP3I, have to be under
the administration of the Ministry's Directorate General for
Higher Education (Dikti).</p><p>"But we refuse to do so because we then have to insert
compulsory subjects such as citizenship, state ideology and basic
social science. It's just a waste of time.</p><p>"Besides, what do our students need the subjects for ?" he
said, adding that LP3I was aimed at producing skilled employees.</p><p>Dikti, Tengku said, also tended to place lecturers from the
Coordinating Body for Private Colleges (Kopertis) who are not
qualified.</p><p>Subsequently LP3I chose to be under the Ministry's Directorate
General of Informal Education and Sport (Diklusepora) with the
consequence that they were given the status as a study course
institute only.</p><p>"That is irrational and such intellectual arrogance," Tengku
said, while adding that the ministry should establish a
Directorate General for Colleges instead.</p><p>Established in 1989, Tengku said that the 22 branches of LP3I
all over the country have produced some 25,000 skilled employees
in the fields of business administration, secretarial jobs,
computer science, accounting, English, management, tourism,
business, and marketing.</p><p>With around 1,000 lecturers, LP3I has its own curriculum and
syllabus, and job training programs.</p><p>"And now the ministry asks to copy our syllabus. That is
nonsense. We have spent years and hundreds of millions of rupiah
to develop the syllabus. What else do we get?" Tengku said.</p><p>Although LP3I has yet to receive equal accreditation with
universities, Tengku said that it had already been recognized by
several universities in Australia, Malaysia and England.</p><p>"Our students can join several universities in those countries
directly, like Australia's Queensland University and Malaysia's
Damansara Utama College. Isn't that ironic?" he commented.</p><p>The government, he said, should support this kind of
institution as it provided more applicable programs and produced
more skilled workers than other tertiary education institutes.</p><p>"Middle management employees are those who should be
empowered, like nurses and accountants, as the market demand is
high. Therefore, it can boost our economy," Tengku said.</p><p>Based on data from the Minister of Manpower, professions like
nurses, agro-industry workers, sailors, and information
technology specialists are in high demand by other countries.</p><p>Japan has asked for around 400,000 nurses as fewer and fewer
Japanese youth want to become nurses. In Taiwan, there is a need
for around 400,000 construction workers from Indonesia, as
Filipinos workers were fired when the relationship between the
two countries worsened.</p><p>As for the United States, around 400,000 to 500,000 sailors
are sought.</p><p>But due to language problems and failure to meet certain
requirements, only few of Indonesian workers are hired. (hdn)</p>
treat vocational education institutions and their graduates
equally with other higher educational institutions, including
universities.</p><p>President Director of the Indonesian Institute for Education
and Development of Professions (LP3I) Tengku Zulkarnain said on
Wednesday that many vocational education institutions in the
country, including LP3I, were only considered as institutes which
conducted study courses.</p><p>"We provide diploma programs for high school graduates, just
like universities," said Tengku, a former English linguistics
lecturer at North Sumatra State University (USU) in Medan.</p><p>"Our graduates cannot continue their education in universities
or colleges because of LP31 status as a course center. They have
to start again from the first semester although they have already
learned the first semester subjects of the universities and
passed the tests," he added.</p><p>He said that the regulations of the Ministry of National
Education ruled that institutions, like LP3I, have to be under
the administration of the Ministry's Directorate General for
Higher Education (Dikti).</p><p>"But we refuse to do so because we then have to insert
compulsory subjects such as citizenship, state ideology and basic
social science. It's just a waste of time.</p><p>"Besides, what do our students need the subjects for ?" he
said, adding that LP3I was aimed at producing skilled employees.</p><p>Dikti, Tengku said, also tended to place lecturers from the
Coordinating Body for Private Colleges (Kopertis) who are not
qualified.</p><p>Subsequently LP3I chose to be under the Ministry's Directorate
General of Informal Education and Sport (Diklusepora) with the
consequence that they were given the status as a study course
institute only.</p><p>"That is irrational and such intellectual arrogance," Tengku
said, while adding that the ministry should establish a
Directorate General for Colleges instead.</p><p>Established in 1989, Tengku said that the 22 branches of LP3I
all over the country have produced some 25,000 skilled employees
in the fields of business administration, secretarial jobs,
computer science, accounting, English, management, tourism,
business, and marketing.</p><p>With around 1,000 lecturers, LP3I has its own curriculum and
syllabus, and job training programs.</p><p>"And now the ministry asks to copy our syllabus. That is
nonsense. We have spent years and hundreds of millions of rupiah
to develop the syllabus. What else do we get?" Tengku said.</p><p>Although LP3I has yet to receive equal accreditation with
universities, Tengku said that it had already been recognized by
several universities in Australia, Malaysia and England.</p><p>"Our students can join several universities in those countries
directly, like Australia's Queensland University and Malaysia's
Damansara Utama College. Isn't that ironic?" he commented.</p><p>The government, he said, should support this kind of
institution as it provided more applicable programs and produced
more skilled workers than other tertiary education institutes.</p><p>"Middle management employees are those who should be
empowered, like nurses and accountants, as the market demand is
high. Therefore, it can boost our economy," Tengku said.</p><p>Based on data from the Minister of Manpower, professions like
nurses, agro-industry workers, sailors, and information
technology specialists are in high demand by other countries.</p><p>Japan has asked for around 400,000 nurses as fewer and fewer
Japanese youth want to become nurses. In Taiwan, there is a need
for around 400,000 construction workers from Indonesia, as
Filipinos workers were fired when the relationship between the
two countries worsened.</p><p>As for the United States, around 400,000 to 500,000 sailors
are sought.</p><p>But due to language problems and failure to meet certain
requirements, only few of Indonesian workers are hired. (hdn)</p>