Is it elite schools, or elitist education?

Is it elite schools, or elitist education?

By Mochtar Buchori

JAKARTA (JP): I attended a very stimulating seminar on
theories of education recently. Based on my previous experiences
in similar seminars, I had not expected an interesting
discussion.

I was wrong! The participants were drawn from a wide field of
academic interests, and the clashes among different ways of
perceiving and interpreting educational phenomena and questions
were emotionally heart-rending, but intellectually fascinating
and invigorating.

One of the issues most heatedly debated was the merit of elite
schools and elite education. One participant, an economist,
argued that we need elite schools to generate an intellectual
elite. We need this intellectual elite to improve our nation's
performance in many areas of national interest: international
trade, foreign policy, banking industries, and the like. He cited
a slogan popular among Indonesian economists today: Whereas in
1945 our national battle cry was "Freedom or Death" (Merdeka Atau
Mati), twenty-five years hence this will be "Compete or Die".

Three participants, all coming from the field of Education
(with a capital "E"), were vehemently opposed to this view. In
their opinion, elitist education will create greater inequality
in our society. Only the very rich will benefit from elite
schools, whereas the majority of Indonesian children will get
nothing from these schools. They will still have to study in
educational environments that are inferior in many respects. Our
task is not to increase this inequality, but to reduce it. Our
task is not to create good education for the few, but to provide
good education for all.

In my opinion, this debate on elite education was
unnecessarily overheated, because "elite education" was confused
with "elitist education". In my understanding, "elite schools"
are schools which are kept small by limiting the number of
students on the basis of a clearly formulated criterion. In any
good elite schools, the criteria for accepting students are
twofold; one that students are willing to work hard to become
high achievers, and two, that they are above average in their
intellectual capability. It is not necessary to require students
for these schools to be super-rich and super-bright.

The essential characteristics of good elite schools are hard
work and a balanced educational program. Balance between physical
and mental exercises, balance between physical sciences and
social and human sciences, and balance between knowledge about
the present and knowledge about the past. It is this kind of
educational program which is called "elite education".

The kind of education which is judged as broadening the gap
between the privilege few and the handicapped majority is usually
called "elitist education". This is an education program designed
to create a social elite, not an intellectual elite. In this kind
of school it is not hard work and balanced education which are
emphasized, but the trappings of elitism: beautiful buildings,
beautiful surroundings, expensive school attire, social
mannerisms, skills in using foreign expressions without really
knowing the languages and other such trappings.

Do we really need an intellectual elite?

The economist in this seminar argued that we do. In his view,
our failure to deal effectively with Ramos Horta is because we do
not have enough intellectual power in our foreign office. Compare
this with the situation we had from 1947 to the mid 1950s. At
that time our diplomats were people with solid general
educations. They were able to meet the challenges of their job,
and performed a quite effective diplomatic mission.

And why are we these days "mute" in facing many international
issues: GATT, trans-national migrant workers, determining
international standards for the work force, and the like? In his
opinion, it is again because we do not have enough intellectual
clout in these matters. He borrowed the late President Sukarno's
words in warning the other participants, that unless and until we
are able to resurrect elite education for the good minds among
the younger generation, we are in danger of again becoming "een
natie van koelies, and een koelie onder de naties" (a nation of
coolies, and a coolie among the nations).

I, for one, am convinced that the time has come for us to have
schools which will make it possible for us to achieve aristocracy
without snobbism.

The writer is rector of the IKIP-Muhammadiyah Teachers'
Training College, Jakarta.