The rights of the parents

No one has ever denied that the best education for young children is being with their parents. However, during a time of uncertainty, parents tend to look for better options for the well-being of their young children. For some families, the education of their children is the top priority. These parents will work hard, save money and make sacrifices in order to provide the best education possible for their children. A lot of parents enroll their children in prominent public schools, and many others choose private schools for their children's education. However, a number of parents, for their own reasons, prefer to send their children abroad to study.

Many of our education experts admit that the quality of a local education is generally unsatisfactory. The recent unfavorable situation and environment make it even worse. School schedules have been greatly interrupted. Any parent given the opportunity probably would not mind sending their young children overseas to study, in order to give their children a peaceful and better environment.

It is sad if we do not respect the rights of parents to decide what's best for their children. Article 26 of the Declaration of Human Rights says that parents have the right to choose the kind of education they want for their children.

The idea of preventing Indonesian pre-university students from studying abroad in this era when human rights are being loudly declared seems rather absurd. I hardly believed what I heard on the local TV news, and what I read in the newspaper about this plan, revealed on the same day that the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights was being celebrated all over the world. The Jakarta Post even published the complete articles of the declaration. We cannot ignore public awareness of human rights.

Nationalism as the reason given for the ban seems to be out of context. Nationalism is not something that we can force on someone. It grows naturally in every citizen. Young children under the university age are too young to understand about politics. What is important for them is a good education. With a good education, these students could give Indonesia the experience and expertise that is crucial to the future development of a country, as well as for mankind .

A person who remains in the country all his life is not automatically more nationalistic than someone who has studied abroad or spent a few years of his life abroad. It all depends on how one defines "nationalism", whether in a narrow or broad sense. And excessive nationalism can even lead to problems.

An Indian economist, Amartya Sen, who won the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics, is a good example of the broader sense of nationalism. He is the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize for economics and the first solo winner of the prize. His works, which include extensive writings and analytical studies of famine, catastrophes and poverty experienced by many Asian and African countries, are not only great contributions to his own country but also to mankind. He might not have given any thoughts about nationalism while he was doing his works, however, what he has done certainly brings recognition to his country.

It would be wiser if Indonesia could begin with positive thinking toward its younger generations, and take some better measures, such as improving the quality of our education system so that all the people in the country can enjoy a quality education, stop the student brawls that occur almost everyday and create and maintain a peaceful situation which is conducive to education.

JENNY LAURITZ KHOENG

Jakarta