Indonesia still struggling with ABCs of education

Indonesia still struggling with ABCs of education

Leo Landep, Contributor, Jakarta, leolandep@yahoo.com

The Indonesian government is failing to uphold the
Constitution.

That sentiment was not expressed by the late founding father
of Indonesian education, Ki Hadjar Dewantara, who was famous for
his struggles with the Dutch colonial government for fair laws,
especially those relating to education for Indonesians.

In fact, it was no less than President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, who, on Dewantara's birthday on May 2 -- celebrated as
national Education Day -- said that after 60 years of
independence the government was still unable to meet the
constitutional requirement related to the amount of money spent
on education.

The President also said the entire system of education,
including providing at least nine years of free education for all
children, school facilities and remuneration for teachers, had to
be revamped immediately. The sad thing about all this, he added,
is that Indonesia lags behind many countries as far as education
and human resource is concerned.

If Dewantara -- Indonesia's first education minister -- was
alive today, he would no doubt be exasperated with all of the
problems besetting the country, like the corrupt and slow-moving
bureaucracy and its handling of the future of the country's
younger generations.

A great believer in education as a means to broaden one's
horizons and improve intelligence, Dewantara would also be
outraged at the way education is treated. In his day, naturally,
education was a way to fight for freedom. Even today, in a
broader sense of the word, it still is.

Dewantara set up Taman Siswa, the first Indonesian school,
eventually grew into an education foundation, on July 22, 1922.
Days before its establishment, he said: "We have attacked the
enemy's fortress for quite some time now, so I think we should
now build, as well, a strong one for ourselves."

It would be interesting to see how the great educator would
use his skills, strategies and especially his wisdom to get
things done in today's environment.

Because in his day he had to face a foreign government, the
Dutch, it would be unfair to compare the results he obtained
through the various methods and means available at the time with
what could be accomplished today.

For example, the rapid growth of Taman Siswa to more than 100
branches throughout the nation, along with its magazines and
radio station, was seen as a serious threat to the colonial
authorities. A law on "wild" or "illegally established schools"
was passed by the Dutch government not only to curb its growth
but check its existence.

A fiery telegram Dewantara sent to the governor-general
spurred nationwide support from various parties, religious
societies, other indigenous schools and ethnic Chinese and Arab
residents.

As a precautionary step, Dewantara also prepared a nationwide
program to spread education even further: "Each person should
teach himself and transfer knowledge to many others. Each house
should become an educational institute."

After questioning by an Indonesian member of the legislature,
the law on "illegally established schools" was annulled. This was
only one of Dewantara's victories.

His greatest victory arrived when the country became
independent on Aug. 17, 1945. For him, this meant not only
becoming free of Dutch rule. It meant thinking, breathing, living
in a totally free environment. For Dewantara and other like-
minded Indonesians, their free minds and spirits knew no
boundaries. And a proper education was obviously essential.

Besides being appointed as the very first minister of
education, which was his top priority, Dewantara was also given
no less than 14 other important positions.

After 60 years of independence, the relatively small number of
reputable local schools and educational institutions that the
country can boast of, together with some international schools
that are on a par with schools in other countries, is a far cry
from what Dewantara envisioned and fought for.

It is an embarrassment that in the 21st century, when many
other countries take a free and quality education for granted,
Indonesia is still struggling just to cure the basic "ailments"
of its education system and seems at a loss to provide basic
facilities and infrastructure. And all this while other sectors
receive hefty budgets.

Would it help to remind everyone that the great man's spirit
lives on? And that his almost single-handed efforts and
sacrifices should not be wasted?