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