Science still not a popular career field

Nobel Prize Winner Claude N. Cohen Tannoudji was very impressed when seeing hundreds of young scientists around the world gathered at the recent Physics Olympiad in Nusa Dua, Bali, last week.

The distinguished scientist openly expressed his happiness to see so many young people wanting to follow his path in the world of science.

"It is refreshing for me to be with these inspiring and talented youth coming from around the globe who all share a strong motivation in science," exclaimed the scientist, when delivering a special award to the Olympiad's absolute winner Ngoc Duong Dang from Vietnam on July 29.

There is no denying that only a few youngsters are interested in science. For many of them, science is something very difficult to comprehend and working in the science world is something to be avoided, if possible.

Choosing a fast-track and easy-to-get-rich career as a lawyer, doctor or banker is everybody's dream.

In many parts of the world, especially in developing countries, a scientist is a low-income and unpopular profession.

Take Junita, a graduate from the physics department of a prestigious university in Indonesia. She chose to pursue a career in a multinational bank rather than become a scientist or a lecturer at her department.

"My job is promising. With my present salary, I can save quite a lot of money. Imagine what it would be like if I worked in a cramped laboratory," said Junita who graduated with honors.

Harianta, a physics graduate from a Bandung university in West Java, decided to work at the state-owned telecommunication company. Now, his career is thriving.

Graduates of physics or other natural, applied sciences in Indonesia are now spreading to various professions like bankers, computer programmers, journalists, civil servants, businessmen and front desk telephone operators.

Yohanes Surya, who gained his Phd in physics from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, expressed his concern about science education in Indonesia.

"It is a vicious circle. Science has always been unpopular in Indonesia and we do very little to popularize the subject and to attract the interest of young people in science," said Yohanes.

Thanks to the media as well as publishing companies, there are a number of interesting science columns and programs appearing in newspapers like Kompas and Tempo dailies.

Television stations including SCTV and TPI are famous for their science programs. SCTV's Galileo Quiz was one of the station's most popular shows, while TPI's Discovery programs provide visual experiences for both young and adult viewers alike.

Johanes went further, saying the way science is taught at local schools -- from elementary to high school, is really out of date, compared to Western countries and neighbors like Singapore and Malaysia.

"Most school science material emphasizes old theories, written words, rarely on exciting experiments. This is so ineffective because science is just about everyday things," he said. Besides, school textbooks are too burdensome. In a quarter period or four months, students have to learn a lot of material, not to mention their mountains of homework.

"We must do something immediately to change the teaching method and the science learning system if we want to develop science. The present system burdens both students and teachers," Yohanes insisted.

Rudy Noerhadi, a high school teacher from Surabaya in East Java, admitted he often felt helpless when presenting science material in his class.

"Most of us only try to deliver all the material in the textbook. We do not know whether our students understand it or not. We are under pressure to achieve our target over the school year," said Rudi, who attended a national conference for physics teachers in Nusa Dua last week.

Ketut Killa, a principal at SMPN I junior high school in Denpasar, also agreed the teaching of science in local schools is boring and uninspiring.

"Lack of facilities is another problem. Many schools are not equipped with necessary facilities like laboratories and equipment for scientific experiments," he said.

When talking about school facilities, Indonesia seems to lag behind other countries in the world, even poor ones like Pakistan and Vietnam.

Lilik Hendrajaya, professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology, explained that Indonesia has never been serious in developing its education system.

Since the New Order period, the government has spent only 6 percent of the national budget compared to Malaysia that allocates 30 percent of its national budget for education.

"Indonesia has a lot of brilliant students like those who participated in the Olympiad, but the school system here prevents them from thriving," he said. The worst thing is that the government has never paid attention to the growing number of "clever" students.

"The government and the country's universities have never realized our great potential. It's a pity because foreign universities are more proactive in netting Indonesia's best students," Lilik said.

During the opening of the Olympiad on July 22, President Megawati Soekarnoputri had promised to improve the country's education system and to provide places for talented students. But many doubt that. Many people believe that promises by politicians or government officials are hardly likely to be fulfilled.

Yohanes urged the government to pay more attention to these "bright students".

"They are the nation's assets who will develop the country in the future."

-- Rita A. Widiadana