Redefining college education

Redefining college education

By A. Chaedar Alwasilah

BANDUNG (JP): This year nearly 480,000 senior high school
graduates nationwide attended entrance exams to state
universities, vying for approximately 72,600 seats. Indeed, it is
high competition for admission to state colleges -- one has to
outscore seven others.

Due to the economic crisis, some parents have foregone sending
children abroad and sent them to college at home instead. This
has significantly increased the number of applicants by 21.59
percent.

This recurring phenomenon convinces us that higher education
is only a beautiful dream for most, if not all, high school
graduates and parents. It is reasonable to ponder whether parents
are realistic and informed about sending children to college. A
simple question is, should all high school graduates go to
college?

The concept of higher education for all was initially
introduced in the United States in the 1970s. It is a recognition
of an American citizen's right to get higher education.

In the Indonesian context, it is crucial here to state that
all citizens have the same right of access to the available
resources of higher education.

It does not suggest, though, that every high school graduate
has to be admitted to college. It is possible to provide them
with postsecondary school education; nonetheless, it is
absolutely erroneous to equate it with higher education -- a
common attitude among parents.

Compared to elementary and secondary school education, college
does not have a universal curriculum. Precollege education --
from elementary to high school -- is universal in the sense that
it provides students with relatively basic and universal
knowledge, skills, experiences and values to enable them to
function socially in the community. The term "universal higher
education" is a misnomer, for college education is not and will
never be universal.

For some parents sending children to college, especially one
overseas, this is a great prestige, and obtaining a college
degree is a symbol of social status and a key to a decent
occupation. At present, parents tend to underestimate
postsecondary school institutions offering training and short-
term courses. This attitude is feudalistic in nature and
incongruent with professionalism, essential for survival in
global competition. It overemphasizes the social function of the
university, while ignoring its education hierarchy and
differentiation.

It is not easy to convince parents that what matters is
postsecondary education, not higher education.

In an Indonesian context today, "higher" is not perceived as
"better", in the sense of relevance and employability that could
logically contribute significantly to social development. Many
are satisfied being college graduates, despite unemployment. As a
matter of fact, such people constitute a social burden rather
than social innovator. Their attempted college background is not
maximally utilized for social development.

In developed countries, continuing, further and adult
education has long been developed and empowered as alternatives
to tertiary education, which is conventionally undertaken by
universities. This empowerment is designed to provide people with
the opportunity to get "higher" education, in the sense of
better, relevant and marketable education.

It is estimated that an annual 135,000 to 150,000 new college
graduates are turned out to compete in the job market and only
40,000 to 60,000 of them find a job. In the years ahead, the
figures will be even higher due to the economic crisis that has
torn the country.

This suggests that from year to year, only half of the college
graduates find a job, leaving the other half unemployed. This
half constitutes a group of people who have invested money, time
and energy to get a "higher" education, not a "better and
marketable" one.

We also notice many college graduates work in sectors that are
not immediately relevant to their academic specialization. This
mismatch between college training and employment is evidence of a
public attitude toward higher education. Most Indonesian parents
still believe that college degrees are more overvalued than
professionalism.

It is important that parents realize and convince children
that to successfully compete in the job market, they should have
saleable skills, expertise and professionalism. When "higher"
education is perceived as "better and relevant" education, more
high school graduates will turn to institutions offering short
professional courses, training and continuing education. As a
consequence, colleges or universities will not be perceived at
face value as any better than those institutions.

In the ensuing paragraphs, the mission and function of
universities will be elaborated. These will help us reposition
universities in a systemic framework of national education.

Universities are distinguished from other education
institutions by scientific orientation. They stand on the front
line of exploring and developing science and technology,
including concepts, methods and values. The curriculum of
medicine, laws, engineering, education and others, for example,
are developed with reference to established and autonomous
academic principles.

Due to specialized academic orientation, not all high school
graduates will benefit from universities. This point should be
explicitly made, especially when we examine the claim that all
citizens have the right to higher education, although rights do
not necessarily imply benefits and advantages.

Often times, universities are criticized for being removed
from practice and their 'ivory tower' orientation, as well as
conducting highly sophisticated research which absorbs hundreds
of millions of rupiah. Many would perceive this as inefficiency
or even a waste of resources. This is a paradox inherent in
higher learning institutions. The question now is, is it possible
to strike a balance between the ivory tower orientation with a
down-to-earth one?

It is hypothesized that a change from a knowledge-based to a
problem-oriented and career-oriented curriculum will neutralize
the connotation of higher education, commonly perceived as a
privilege for cream-of-the-crop citizens. Hopefully, people will
perceive higher education implies continuing, recurrent and adult
education. It is under this paradigm that the concept of higher
education for all would be justifiable. From the accounts above,
a guideline is derived as follows:

* Twelve years of elementary education and secondary education
is a solid foundation, upon which vocational and professional
skills are built. Elementary, secondary and tertiary education
constitutes a series of mutual inclusion in developing expertise
and professionalism.

* Education, whether good or not, becomes integrated with
economy. Emerging sectors in economy tend to be reliant on
education and training. Postsecondary education should by
definition create an emerging specialization.

* Postsecondary education should be made available through
numerous institutions. It would be erroneous to limit higher
education to the education traditionally conducted by
universities. Justice and equality underlining the concept of
higher education for all should be flexibly interpreted to enable
high school graduates to enter any form of education of choice.

* Alternative forms of postsecondary education, such as short
courses and professional training should be given priority,
considering the paucity of employment. Professionally trained
graduates will not only be absorbed in the job market, but they
will also create employment.

* Curriculums are designed to help students to survive and
self-actualize in society. In other words, contemporary social
changes logically determine college education. Problem-oriented
and career-oriented education is relevant to the current social
and economic situations.

* Education in general develops critical-thinking skills and
independence in students. Despite different specializations, all
college graduates are expected to demonstrate capabilities as
agents of social transformation. This necessitates the inclusion
of social subjects such as sociology, psychology and education in
the college curriculum.

As the country is now facing a social and economic crisis, it
is essential that our embraced philosophy on education needs to
balance social and economic parameters. With the guideline above
in mind, we are assured that in the future, high school graduates
will be realistic in their bid to enter universities and be
informed in choosing professions. After all, their future is in
their hands.

The writer is a lecturer at the graduate school of the
Teachers Training College (IKIP) in Bandung.