Indonesians hit the books again at Open University

By Dewi Anggraeni

MELBOURNE, Australia (JP): "It's never too late to learn" smacks of a cliche, but it is reality for Johannis Mailuhu at the age of 61. For him, hitting the books again is not as straightforward an exercise as enrolling at a local college and attending lectures and tutorials.

When Indonesia's Open University began its program in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1998, Johannis met one of the lecturers who had come for a visit. The woman, Johanna, was a long-time friend and knew that Johannis studied in the Open University while still in Jakarta in the mid-1990s. She encouraged him to resume his studies.

Johannis was tempted, but he had misgivings.

"I hadn't done any formal studies for 11 years then, so I wasn't sure how well I could do it. Apart from that, to be able to pick up from where I'd left off, I'd need the documents proving that I had completed a number of units in Jakarta, where I had studied for nearly three years. But it was so long ago, I didn't have them with me."

Johanna promised that she would find his records so he would be able to resume his studies.

"She kept her promise. So the following year, 1999, I enrolled, and I haven't looked back since," said Johannis.

While more people are becoming concerned about their careers, studying does not necessarily have to be career-oriented. It can also help personal growth. Johannis' studies in state administration are not directly linked to his current job in a shoe factory.

He finds a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that he has not been disadvantaged by more than 10 years of absence from formal learning. He also enjoys the formal and informal discussion groups at the school; in fact, younger students look to him for encouragement.

Johannis was on hand to tell about the benefits of the program when the Indonesian Consulate General in Melbourne hosted an open day on Jan. 13. The program is a service particularly for Indonesians who, although now permanent residents of Australia, still want to take part in an Indonesian state university study program.

The open day was intended to get the word out about the program in Melbourne and surrounding communities.

"We realized that we needed to promote the program better. Many people had expressed surprise when told about it. Somehow it hasn't reached the whole community yet," explained a consulate official.

The inspiration for the Melbourne Open University came from the success of the same program in Sydney and Canberra which had begun several years earlier. Hosted by the consulate general, it was officially opened in January 1998 by the then consul general, E G Rumayar, witnessed by the attache for education and culture from the embassy in Canberra, Dr. Aria Djalil.

The program was managed with enthusiasm by Wahid Supriyadi, Melbourne's vice consul for information, social affairs and culture. Sources confirm that Wahid's successor, Wahyu Hersetiati, has taken over the role seriously and with gusto. Like her predecessor, Wahyu is also assisted by a working group, with chairman Iwa Lukmana, a doctoral candidate at Monash University, and secretary Junaidi Mistar, also a Ph. D. candidate at the same university.

Exams

Examinations are conducted periodically each semester, overseen personally by the vice consul.

"The exam papers come from the Open University in Jakarta. They are sent to the attache for education and culture at the embassy in Canberra, who then sends them to the vice consul in Melbourne," Iwa explained.

Among the students are members of the diplomatic corps, such as Abdul Razak Abdullah. Like Johannis, Razak is also studying state administration.

"When I was posted in Brazil, I completed a bachelor's degree in business administration," Razak told The Jakarta Post.

"However in Melbourne, my workload is such that I can never resume my studies without the facility of a distance learning program."

Asked if he was studying for the purpose of furthering or enhancing his career, he answered: "I have always enjoyed learning. And I am more or less preparing for a future beyond the diplomatic world."

He has a wider net to cast. Razak hopes to take part in politics, although he still has not decided which party he wants to join.

As can be expected, holding an important job, having a young family and studying are not child's play. "The advantages of distance learning is that you can do it in your own time. However, you need self-discipline. I tend to study at night, when the family has gone to bed, or early in the morning, before everybody gets up. Holidays are also taken up by studying."

The Open University offers various programs in its School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, School of Economics, School of Social and Political Sciences and School of Education. As it has the status of a state university, its graduates can resume their studies in any university in Indonesia whenever circumstances allow.

With a tuition fee of A$350 (US$200) per semester, which includes books and lecture notes, the Open University makes studying for an Indonesian degree accessible and affordable for those in Australia.

Asked if they ever encountered logistical problems, Razak recalled: "During the first months there was a delay in sending the books. Finally they arrived two weeks before the exams. And boy, they were thick books, too! To make things worse, we were required to take at least seven subjects at a time. Believe me, those were tough times!'

Now most of them take six subjects at a time, although one of them admitted to only doing two.

No doubt the management of the program would have to work harder without the dedication of the working group who give their time voluntarily. "They are the people we turn to when we have questions about our studies. We often consult with them," Razak said.

"Ah, we are merely the rah-rah group," said Iwa, in a typically Indonesian self-deprecatory way.