Poor people kept away from quality education

Poor people kept away from quality education

Mateus Yumarnamto, Surabaya

Wahono, the executive director of Cindelaras, an NGO concerned
with education for poor people, has criticized the government for
its decision to adopt an education system that groups school
children according to their abilities and the financial status of
their parents:
"Those who are intelligent and those who are not; those who
have financial support and those who are poor," (Kompas, April 7,
2005).

This system denies children equal opportunities and widens the
gap between the wealthy and the poor. It makes it very difficult
for the poor to change their lives and to advances themselves,
socially or otherwise. In short, such a policy prohibits the poor
from accessing a quality education.

The system is not supported by theory and in the long run
would have dangerous implications, such as social unrest.

It is ironic that while other nations make efforts to reduce
the gap between the rich and the poor, and among high achievers
and low achievers, the government here is making plans to the
contrary. The U.S. has launched the "No Child Left Behind Act"
while Indonesia would appear to have in mind the "Let's Leave
Them Behind Act".

The policy is based on two misinterpretations of the
fundamentals of education, which allow the government to neglect
its responsibility to give students a fair chance in life through
education.

First, the fact that children differ in aptitude, talent and
background is seen as an indication that they need different
types of schooling. Thus, students' differences would be recorded
and used to classify them, according to a standardized perception
of intelligence.

Second, the fact that quality education is costly to provide
is used to demand that students share the burden of financing
their school. This interpretation would suggest that the
government is no longer responsible for providing free basic
education for all children. As a consequence, poor people are
forced to go to "cheaper" schools, which naturally offer a
second-rate education.

Such a view of education is against the design of the national
curriculum, which demands that, regardless of their ability or
background, all students' competency must have reached the
minimum national standard before they leave school.

Therefore, the different intellectual abilities of students
should not mean that they are denied the chance to achieve. Even
when students choose a different path for their education, the
decision should not be made by the government, but by themselves.

The misinterpretation of the first principle is also against
the concept of "mastering education", which was introduced to
lower the drop-out rate and to help low achievers reach the
minimum standards. That is why schools are encouraged to assist
low achievers with remedial services.

On the other side, the interpretation that students should
bear the burden of financing education sounds logical, and in
many cases is fair enough as it has been practiced both by state
and private institutions. However, since the government insists
on nine years' compulsory education, it is the government's
responsibility to provide free basic education services for all
children.

Rather than segregating school children based on their
aptitude and financial factors, it would be better for the
government to provide equal opportunities so that all children
could strive together for excellence.

If the government plans to increase the number of vocational
schools, they should not be set aside for people who are poor, or
who are low-achievers.

These schools are intended for those who aspire to be skilled
workers. Thus, vocational schools promoted by the government
should apply global standards and local wisdom so that their
graduates do not end up unemployed. In the more competitive
future, then, we can export skilled workers to our neighboring
countries.

Instead of putting the poor -- both financially and
intellectually -- into one assembly line, to create one certain
social class, the government should give all people equal
opportunities. Let the people make a decision that will affect
their own fate.

The writer is a lecturer at the Teacher's Training and
Education School of Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya.e-
mail: mateus@mail.wima ac.id