Standards in education

Standards in education

From Pelita

I'm sorry to say that standards in education are now declining. The following examples have led me to feel concerned about the state of our educational system: * As the nation's final high school exams have been scrapped, both teachers and students have lost their motivation to maintain high educational standards and school reports are easily cooked. * As schools are free to determine which books to use, parents now have to spend more money on books. A set of books can only be used for one scholastic year. The following year, a different set of books is used. So, books cannot be passed on from one child to a younger sibling. * Many senior decision-making figures in education do not come from educational circles and their knowledge of educational matters is questionable. The fact is that these positions are a bone of contention among political parties. Schools will accept new students as a means of making money. They can set the amount of entrance fees as they wish. It is difficult for students from outside Jakarta to be accepted by schools in the capital, even when their grades are good. * A drop in the nation's educational standards opens up opportunities for international schools to operate in this country. The Singapore International School, for example, is a favorite among well-to-do parents hoping their children will get good education.

It is advisable for the government, therefore, not to change the educational system without carefully studying the real situation. If the quality of our education worsens, this situation will endanger the country in the long term.

MOH. AMIN

Depok, West Java