On total reform of education system
On total reform of education system
The Jakarta Post of Aug. 6, 1999 carried an interview with the
minister of education and culture titled Indonesian education
system needs total reform: Minister. I was keen to know the
details and the kind of education reform strategies the minister
would suggest in the interview.
While I concur with most of this ideas on the urgent need for
total reform in the Indonesian education system considering the
current trend of issues in the sociopolitical arena, I
nevertheless disagree with the minister's opinion that it is
"unfair to compare Indonesia's education system with those
applied in other countries because of different social, cultural,
historical and demographic conditions."
As a foreigner, I wonder why the minister shied away from the
reality that Indonesia has always been in the forefront in
comparing itself with other countries (especially the United
States of America) in many aspects. Why not in the education
system?
The minister is aware that it is the education system which is
tasked with the mission to prepare and develop Indonesia's human
resources not only for national development but also to face the
challenges of globalization. However, this idea makes competition
with other countries quite inexorable.
To some extent, the minister was also right in saying that
countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand have "impressive
education systems", similarly, they differ in their "social,
cultural, historical and demographic conditions". Does it mean
that the highlighted difference will hinder Indonesia in
borrowing some of the relevant aspects of the education system to
be instituted in the reform agenda?
Understanding the past is important in order to determine
one's future direction. One of the observations why the
Singaporean or Malaysian education systems are far better than
the Indonesian system as appreciated by the minister is based on
a historical perspective. It is quite difficult for a newcomer to
clearly understand the legacy of Indonesia's education system. Is
it a Dutch, an American or a British oriented education system?
This challenge has a lot to be desired in Indonesia's education
system reform.
Globalization changes the need for institutions faster than
the institutions themselves are able to change. Modern
international economics, politics, business, science, technology,
advanced education, travel and entertainment are primarily
conducted in the English language (the Post, June 19, 1999).
Many foreign businesses require employee applicants to have an
understanding of the English language because using translators
is too slow and inefficient for the competitive marketplace. As
part of the essential future strategies for total education
reform in Indonesia, I would have expected the minister to have
pointed out something concerned with the introduction of English
as a medium of instruction in higher learning institutions,
especially in leading state universities such as the University
of Indonesia, Gajah Mada University, the Bandung Institute of
Technology and the Bogor Institute of Agriculture.
Nonetheless, I see the future effort of making Indonesia's
human resources ready for globalization (the Post, Sept. 25,
1998) to be in the doldrums. I predict the most powerful job
opportunities which will be advertised by international companies
with business ties in Indonesia are likely to be taken up by
"your neighbors" who you are not ready to compete with.
RAPHAEL LENGESA NOMBO
Yogyakarta