Now in high demand, vocational schools suffer funding constraints
Vocational schools, high in demand but suffering funding constraints
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
At a time when skilled workers are most needed, vocational schools, aiming to supply the professional market, find themselves favored by both students and businesses.
"I always aspired to continue my studies at a vocational school because it corresponds with my interests and will prepare me for work," said Erwan Rusdiana, a graduate from a public vocational school (SMK) in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
With around 800,000 students from 5,070 public and private vocational schools graduating per year, some 50 percent already have jobs waiting for them in related industries, a senior government official said on Monday.
According to the Central Statistics Agency, in 2003, the number of vocational school graduates working as professional workers (667,852) outnumbered that of regular high school graduates (342,387).
"The ones with jobs lined up are from schools that meet the high standards set by industry associations," Ministry of National Education's director of vocational education Gatot Hari Priowirjanto said, adding that ensuring that such standards were met required adequate training facilities.
Currently, technical schools (1,721), business and management schools (2,569) as well as tourism schools (110) represent the three most favored study subjects with an average of 700,000 new enrollments annually.
"But, there has been declining interest in handicraft and agricultural studies," Gatot said, which he suggested could be overcome by opening more market-oriented programs such as on agricultural business and graphic design.
Despite the reduced enrollment figures in some programs, in general there has been a steady enrollment increase at vocational schools. The 667,000 new enrollments in 1997 jumped to 760,000 in 2003.
"Such schools are no longer eyed only by those from the middle and lower classes," Gatot said. "Since graduates are skilled, companies appreciate them more than those from college."
He also pointed out that SMK 1 Mundu in Cirebon annually sends 120 to 150 of its graduates to Japan for work experience.
After taking part in an international competency contest in Helsinki, Finland, last week, it became clear that Indonesian schools lack attention and funding for the upgrading of equipment.
"We are as competent as those from Europe, but our tools are not as good as theirs," said Erwan, a delegate representing Indonesia in the bricklaying competition.
The ministry's head of competency standardization and certification Susilowati explained that training equipment at most schools was bought in the 1980s and was therefore old. "We also have problems with precision since the tools are rarely calibrated," she said.
The classic argument of insufficient funding rang true when the government only channeled 30 percent of this year's proposed Rp 695 billion (US$73.93 million) for the rehabilitation and procurement of more than 5,000 schools.
Gatot explained that a thorough revamp of equipment in schools nationwide would require some Rp 3 trillion. "And that only covers some 60 percent of schools."
"Local administrations pay very little attention to them and allocate a similar amount of funds as that for regular high schools," Gatot said, adding that a vocational school, especially one specializing in technology, required a lot more as it needed expensive heavy duty equipment and used an extensive amount of electricity.
However, a head of a vocational school should also be more proactive in finding industries to become the school's partner. "Industries can help with the equipment and benefit from the supply of skilled workers," he said.(003)