Haedar Nashir Urges Universities Not to Just Chase Student Numbers

The Chairman of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah, Prof. Haedar Nashir, has stated that the concept of Indonesian education must be returned to its basic principles as outlined in Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution. He also criticised universities for merely chasing student enrolment numbers. Haedar explained that the fundamental concept of Indonesian education is to enhance the intellectual life of the nation. This is reinforced in Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution, which aims to develop individuals who are faithful, pious, possess noble character, and uphold religious values, knowledge, and civilisation. ‘However, in its subsequent development, the orientation of education has become solely focused on intellectual intelligence,’ he told reporters in Kasihan, Bantul, on Saturday (4/7/2026). He noted that this purely intellectual orientation has led to the neglect of spiritual intelligence, resulting in a counter-movement that educates only for spiritual matters. ‘Therefore, return the Indonesian education system to its basic concept, to the preamble and Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution,’ he urged. According to him, achieving this is actually straightforward, provided that experts formulate policies that consistently refer to Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution, which regulates the rights and obligations of citizens in education. ‘Consequently, in higher education, I consider it a mistake if the focus is solely on chasing students like a city bus chases passengers. Be careful, you might end up with hundreds of thousands of students at a university, but if the educational capacity and the quality of learning delivery are poor, a gap will emerge,’ he said. He also cautioned against turning universities into mere business entities, as the primary goal of education is to enhance the nation’s intellect.