New minister, new policy

Each time a minister is replaced, his policy is always altered by his successor. It seems that the new minister is perceived as "not smart" if he does not change his predecessor's policy.

This is true in Indonesia's educational system. Often, whenever the education minister is replaced, the curriculum is also changed on the ground that it is outdated.

The more the curriculum is changed, the more the parents are irked because they have to spend a lot of money on new textbooks, just to keep up with the new curriculum.

Indonesia's world of education has turned into a jungle of terror. This does not help parents in preparing their children for a "borderless" education.

Students who do not perform well in school try to get hold of these fake certificates.

What is more pathetic is that students who do not pass senior high school are able to enter universities.

These are the results of the education minister's decree, which stipulates that students who attend the final national examination deserve a certificate, regardless of whether they pass or fail the test.

Obviously, one main source of the problems faced by the country is the decision-makers -- ministers who are also problem- makers.

They are dubbed as problem-makers because they are eager to change policies which do not need to be changed.

Juggling education is the same as juggling the destiny of our future generations.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta