Lecturers' Alliance Hopes Free Tuition Discourse is Accompanied by Quality Improvements
For Adaksi, the success of a future free tuition policy should not merely be measured by how many millions of students no longer pay tuition fees (UKT), but also by whether the quality of education improves and facilities are enhanced.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Alliance of Civil Servant Lecturers of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Adaksi) hopes that the discourse regarding free tuition in State Universities (PTN) does not simply focus on waiving fees, but is accompanied by an increase in quality.
In a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, the General Chairperson of Adaksi, Anggun Gunawan, highlighted that public discussions categorising the issue as a choice between “free tuition or quality improvement” are misguided, as these are not mutually exclusive options.
“Both are issues that must be resolved simultaneously. Free tuition without quality improvement risks expanding access without quality. Conversely, quality improvement without expanded access has the potential to make higher education increasingly inaccessible to parts of society,” he said.
Anggun emphasised that student financing policies must simultaneously serve as an instrument to improve laboratories, libraries, research, learning quality, lecturer-to-student ratios, as well as lecturer welfare and competence.
According to him, the issue of university graduates must be viewed from two sides: the readiness of universities and the ability of the economy to create quality jobs.
“From the campus perspective, there is homework to be done. Curricula and courses must become increasingly relevant to changes in work, technology, industrial needs, entrepreneurship, and future competencies. Universities need to more strongly connect learning with real projects, internships, applied research, industry, and the actual problems faced by society,” he stated.
Therefore, Anggun emphasised that higher education must be treated as a single ecosystem. Students require affordable access, campuses require adequate funding, lecturers require decent welfare, and graduates require an economy that provides quality employment.
“For Adaksi, the success of the free tuition policy should not only be measured by how many millions of students no longer pay UKT, but also by whether the quality of education increases, facilities improve, teaching loads become rational, lecturer welfare increases, and graduates obtain competencies that are increasingly relevant to the developments in the world of work,” said Anggun Gunawan.