Investment in education towards global society

Suroso Contributor/Yogyakarta

One form of investment to which Indonesian people do not pay enough attention is investment in the field of education. This has resulted in the fact that Indonesia lacks a competitive advantage in its economy and human resources.

The added value that Indonesia would require in order to get up to the same level as the G-7 countries (Japan, the U.S., Canada, Italy, France, Germany and the UK) appears to be virtually unattainable.

Among Asian nations, Indonesia is still lagging behind in terms of education compared to India, Japan, China and Korea. Indonesia has not yet been able to develop advanced technology or prestigious universities.

The best universities in Indonesia are not listed in the 100 top universities in the Asia Pacific region, let alone the 500 top universities in the world. Universities in Japan, Korea, Australia, America and the Western European countries dominate the list of the world's top universities.

The responsibility for education is not only the responsibility of the government but also of society.

Therefore, visionary educational institutions are necessary to change the nation's mentality, which has been degenerating due to corruption, violations of human rights, abuses of power, and greed, into a mentality that is humanistic, altruistic, and full of integrity and responsibility.

Establishing a visionary educational institution to prepare compassionate, religious and creative human beings is costly. Preparing human beings with such characteristics needs a lot of support in the form of excellent human resources, equipment (software and hardware), and management.

Why is the requirement of excellence indispensable in this global era? A tree bearing excellent fruit will not be cut down; it will be well maintained in order to produce more fruit.

Tony Blair in his plans for the next 20 years puts a great deal of emphasis on education. George W. Bush in America has drawn up plans for the development of education until 2020. These two developed countries still regard education as a central issue that is essential for promoting their added value.

The progress to be made by these nations over the next 20 years is being planned and prepared now. In short, despite the expense, present investment in education will bring about great rewards in the future. The success or the failure of a nation's economy depends very much on the resources it devotes to research and development for both products and services.

Therefore, Indonesia needs to establish educational institutions as soon as possible that cater to students who have the curiosity, creativity and imagination needed to make new discoveries and breakthroughs based on cutting-edge research and development. Internationally certified educational institutions, in addition to economic health, are commonly used as a criterion for judging the developmental ranking of a country.

A student may need to spend Rp 1.3 million (about US$150) per month on tuition fees in a school tht adheres to international standards. By Indonesian standards, this may seem very expensive. However, if the school is internationally acknowledged and its graduates can play a role at the international level, such an investment will be well worth it. A good education does not come cheap.

An educational institution has to recruit staff and create a system involving technology, management, budgeting, and values that is capable of maintaining its reputation and standards. As a result, it is impossible to manage an educational institution in a casual manner; it must be treated as a noble endeavor -- one that is of superior quality. To establish an educational institution with eternal values, and excellence in terms of quality and faith, a proper investment is essential for the institution to prosper in the future.

The quality of the nation, which is currently low as stated above, needs to be improved, not by sending the best students to study abroad, but by establishing excellent schools that are internationally acknowledged, capable of providing the knowledge that is needed, and that have Indonesian attitudes, characters and leadership ethos.

Education is not only a transfer of knowledge through subject matter. Education not only tries to satisfy intelligent students' needs, but also caters for and serves students in developing their interests, talents, motivations and creative potential to the maximum.

The preparation of Indonesian students to be Nobel winners in physics, chemistry, biology, and humanities in 2020 should start now through the establishment of educational institutions capable of maximizing the creative potential and talents of students.

It has been proven that Indonesian students are able to win awards in the physics, chemistry and biology Olympiads when they are appropriately motivated and taught. The main task of educational institutions in Indonesia at present should be to mold top-class human resources that are capable of competing and cooperating with people in developed countries by providing them with the means of communicating internationally as early as possible.

Without having to forget about Indonesia's religious culture, educational institutions have to adopt the educational methods and materials that people in developed countries apply and learn.

Generally, developing countries pay less attention to the importance of investment in education. This can be seen from the minimal budget allocated by the government on education. Although article 31 of the 1945 Constitution states that 25 percent of the national budget must be allocated for education, the facts show that this has been nothing more than words so far, and will be difficult to put into practice as most of our politicians do not have a vision that encompasses the developing of our nation through education.

Therefore, to establish educational institutions of an international standard, we cannot rely on the government alone, but will also need the capital investment of others.

Firstly, the state budget is not sufficient to establish educational institutions of an international standard and quality. This is proven by the fact that thousands of elementary school buildings are rundown, a lot of schools lack teachers and adequate educational facilities, and universities in Indonesia are underachieving because they have yet to reached internationally accepted standards.

Society may be able to establish educational institutions of high quality by entering into collaboration with visionary entrepreneurs to build a society that is capable of competing at the international level.

Good strategies, management, public relations and promotion will be needed for the management of schools and universities in collaboration with business. Australia is an example of a country that regards education as an industry that is capable of providing economic advantage. It might be necessary to establish twin universities supported by the national education system.

Secondly, society is as yet unaware of the importance of investing in education. Investors are still of the opinion that putting their money in education is a long-term investment that does not yield quick profits.

Universities as state-owned bodies corporate (BHMN), like UI, ITB, IPB, and UGM, and some of the better private universities, could become internationally recognized universities by establishing collaborative networks for study programs of excellence in order to attract students from overseas to learn and to forge future crossborder relationships, which in turn would serve to increase international trust.

Indonesia will be able to develop schools and universities of an international standard if all segments in society accept the need for a new educational paradigm and system that stresses the need for excellence in education.

If necessary, an educational revolution may be considered, similar to what Sutan Takdir Alisyahbana achieved with his Western orientation, while at the same time avoiding conflict with Indonesian values.

Good education will make good people -- people who are knowledgeable and believe firmly in God so that they remain honest, abjure anarchy and hold human rights in high regard. This, however, will only become a reality if a significant number of business people become convinced that investment in education can change society. -- The writer is a lectrurer at the Faculty of Language and Arts (FBS), University of Yogyakarta.