Educational Problems in Indonesia

at 1:34 AM

Quality of a nation is determined among others by its culture. Culture is the concepts, ideas, thoughts, and beliefs held by a society for a long time so those things guide them in fulfilling their needs of life. Different concepts will lead to different behaviours. Wrong concepts will lead to wrong behaviours. Concept of Indonesia’s nationhood among others can be found in the constitution (Pancasila, 1945 Constitution, and so on) formulated by Indonesia’s founding fathers and developed by further generations. A culture is built mainly through education. Therefore, it is astonishing that in our (Indonesia’s) existing ministerial cabinet, culture is only “clung to” tourism so that culture is distorted into cultural things processed into tourist objects, while no one handles the spirit/essence. Actually, if not handled in one separate ministry, cultural affairs are more appropriate if handled under education ministry or education and cultural ministry (department), since it is education that builds the concept of Indonesian culture on generations from basic level to high level, while education for early age children (PAUD) and kindergarten can be handled over to local communities as a effort to form local cultural and local wisdom.

We often hear that members of our Indonesian society mock each other. Actually quality of people is determined by two things.

First, heredity. Indonesian people at present are direct descendants of 1945 Indonesian generation and are grandchildren of 1929, and are great grandchildren of 1912 generation. According to Ibn Khaldun, ups and downs of a nation are marked by emergence of three generations. First, Pioneering/battering generation, second, Developing generation, and, third, Enjoying generation. If in a country there are too much groups that are members of enjoying generation, which is generation that is only enjoying results of development without thinking how to develop, then it is one indicator that the nation will experience decline. The process of comes and goes of those generations happen within one century according to Ibn Khaldun. What makes us sad is that in our country, only a little bit more than 50 years of age, when few of pioneering generation are still alive, and the developing generation are still in the process of developing, a lot of members of enjoying generation are emerging, mostly even from educated groups. What’s wrong?

Second, education. It is education that can develop the spirit of Indonesia nation. Then, what are wrong in education for this young generation?
There are at least nine mistakes in our nation education so far (during New Order):

[a] Education management in the past overstressed cognitive aspects, ignoring other aspect so that it gives rise to a generation suffering split personality.

[b] Over-centralistic education that generated a generation of people that is only able to regard Jakarta (the capital) as the only hope without recognizing opportunities and big potentials in their own local areas.

[c] Education failed to build bases for developing a disciplined society

[d] Education failed to provide human resources that are ready to compete globally.

[e] Education management ignored democratization and human right. For example, during the new order, teachers/students ratio for schools under Education and Culture Ministry was 1: 14, while in madrasahs (under Ministry of Foreign Affairs) the ratio was only 1: 2000. Another example, educational budget of the government in State Senior High School was Rp 400, 000 while in Madrasah Aliyah was only Rp 4, 000/child/year.

[f] People empowerment in human resources and educational development affairs was subordinated through very centralistic uniformity. Therefore, people creativity in developing education wasn’t developing.

[g] Centralization of national education caused bluntness of local autonomous ideas.

[h] National education didn’t sufficiently respect cultural plurality so that it was in contradiction with the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity).

[i] Enforced contents of nationalism and patriotism through P4 (Guidance for Comprehending and Practicing Pancasila) and PMP (Pancasila Moral Education) were too dry so that they are contra productive.

Those nine mistakes in national educational management have provided their following bitter fruits:

1. Young generation whose insight is low and who doesn’t have idealistic imagination ability.

2. Labor force that is unable to compete in global employment market.

3. Pokey, corrupt, and uncreative bureaucracy.

4. Economic players who are not ready act fairly

5. People who are easily act anarchically.

6. Heavily damaged natural resources (mainly forests)

7. Hypocrite intellectuals.

8. Foreign debts that is not repayable

9. Dominance of morally low leaders

10. Confused local leaders. Regent of minus areas still hope for funds coming from the central government, while regents of plus areas spend too much money for unimportant things

Education in the Reform Era
1. Reform era gives rise to cultural shock, like the feeling experienced by a person who has been imprisoned for so many years but then suddenly see the prison’s wall crumbles down. People experience a very different situation with almost unlimited freedom and openness. Because of this euphoric condition, people are not able to think clearly, demanding rights but ignoring duties, criticizing but not providing solutions.

2. Education society realizes that our human resources as products of our national educational are not able to compete globally so that we are only able to “export” servants, while at home our skilled workers have to compete with foreign skilled workers. The problem is that output of quality education can only be enjoyed after 20-25 years. Our uncompetitive human resources at present are products of education system implemented since 20-30 years ago. We have another problem in connection with radically changing education system: teacher we have now are products of inappropriate education system. In the concept used by IKIP, teachers are educational instruments, not figures that are able to transfer culture to their students. It is this vicious circle that is hard to break.

3. Unfortunately, our education experts have a tendency to mostly refer to textbooks and are lack in doing systemic tests in the field. SD (elementary schools) teachers are still merely “instructors”, not teachers who are followed like in our national education philosophy since a long time ago. Doctors and professors of education should still teach in elementary and junior high schools so that they are able to create culture-based education system, find realities that can be comprehended and formulated into theories, and then meet at bureaucracy level to manage education based on western theories. As long as education in elementary schools is only handled by “instructors”, it will be more difficult to develop the students at higher education strata.

4. Quality education is indeed expensive, but the increase of education budget in APBN (State Budget0 to 20% will not help a lot if National Education Ministry only focuses on certain educational projects, not educational development as a whole.

5. Private institutions have opportunity to create educational innovations without restricted by complex bureaucracy’s regulations, but it is very making us sad that there are a lot of private educational institutions that are merely business-oriented.

6. International schools are required as a response to globalization, but opening of international schools by foreign parties is very risky in terms of culture since they have different educational philosophies.

To accelerate and widen culture of learning national, educational budget should not only aim for formal schools but also informal and non-formal schools. At one point in the future, employment market will not merely consider certificates given by formal schools but also employees’ skills and these skills can be developed in informal and formal schools. Academic titles also won’t be relevant in a point in the future.

posted by : Mubarok institute

Masalah pendidikan di Indonesia

at 1:34 AM at 1:34

Quality of a nation is determined among others by its culture. Kualitas suatu bangsa ditentukan antara lain oleh budaya. Culture is the concepts, ideas, thoughts, and beliefs held by a society for a long time so those things guide them in fulfilling their needs of life. Kebudayaan adalah konsep, ide, pikiran, dan kepercayaan yang diselenggarakan oleh masyarakat untuk waktu yang lama sehingga hal-hal membimbing mereka dalam memenuhi kebutuhan hidup mereka. Different concepts will lead to different behaviours. Konsep yang berbeda akan mengarah ke berbagai perilaku. Wrong concepts will lead to wrong behaviours. Salah konsep akan mengakibatkan salah perilaku. Concept of Indonesia’s nationhood among others can be found in the constitution (Pancasila, 1945 Constitution, and so on) formulated by Indonesia’s founding fathers and developed by further generations. Konsep kedudukan sbg negara merdeka di Indonesia antara lain dapat ditemukan dalam konstitusi (Pancasila, UUD 1945, dan seterusnya) diformulasikan Indonesia didirikan oleh bapak-bapak dan dikembangkan oleh generasi selanjutnya. A culture is built mainly through education. J budaya dibangun terutama melalui pendidikan. Therefore, it is astonishing that in our (Indonesia’s) existing ministerial cabinet, culture is only “clung to” tourism so that culture is distorted into cultural things processed into tourist objects, while no one handles the spirit/essence. Karena itu, mengherankan bahwa kami (Indonesia) yang ada menteri kabinet, budaya hanya "clung to" pariwisata budaya sehingga berubah menjadi budaya adalah sesuatu yang diproses menjadi objek wisata, sementara tidak ada seorangpun yang menangani roh / inti. Actually, if not handled in one separate ministry, cultural affairs are more appropriate if handled under education ministry or education and cultural ministry (department), since it is education that builds the concept of Indonesian culture on generations from basic level to high level, while education for early age children (PAUD) and kindergarten can be handled over to local communities as a effort to form local cultural and local wisdom. Sebenarnya, jika tidak ditangani satu departemen terpisah, budaya urusan yang lebih tepat jika ditangani di bawah departemen pendidikan atau departemen pendidikan dan kebudayaan (departemen), karena pendidikan yang membangun konsep budaya Indonesia pada generasi dari tingkat dasar ke tingkat tinggi, sementara pendidikan bagi anak-anak usia dini (PAUD) dan taman kanak-kanak dapat ke masyarakat setempat sebagai upaya untuk membentuk budaya lokal dan kearifan lokal.

We often hear that members of our Indonesian society mock each other. Kita sering mendengar bahwa para anggota masyarakat Indonesia saling ejek. Actually quality of people is determined by two things. Sebenarnya kualitas manusia ditentukan oleh dua hal.

First, heredity. Pertama, turun temurun. Indonesian people at present are direct descendants of 1945 Indonesian generation and are grandchildren of 1929, and are great grandchildren of 1912 generation. Masyarakat Indonesia saat ini adalah keturunan langsung generasi Indonesia 1945 dan cucu dari 1929, yang besar dan cucu dari generasi 1912. According to Ibn Khaldun, ups and downs of a nation are marked by emergence of three generations. Menurut Ibn Khaldun, up and down dari bangsa yang ditandai dengan munculnya tiga generasi. First, Pioneering/battering generation, second, Developing generation, and, third, Enjoying generation. Pertama, perintis / battering generasi kedua, Membangun generasi, dan, ketiga, Menikmati generasi. If in a country there are too much groups that are members of enjoying generation, which is generation that is only enjoying results of development without thinking how to develop, then it is one indicator that the nation will experience decline. Jika dalam sebuah negara terdapat terlalu banyak kelompok yang menikmati generasi anggota, yang merupakan generasi yang hanya menikmati hasil pembangunan tanpa berpikir bagaimana mengembangkan, maka merupakan salah satu indikator bahwa bangsa ini akan mengalami penurunan. The process of comes and goes of those generations happen within one century according to Ibn Khaldun. Proses datang dan pergi dari generasi yang terjadi dalam satu abad menurut Ibn Khaldun. What makes us sad is that in our country, only a little bit more than 50 years of age, when few of pioneering generation are still alive, and the developing generation are still in the process of developing, a lot of members of enjoying generation are emerging, mostly even from educated groups. Apa yang membuat kita sedih adalah bahwa di negara kita, hanya sedikit lebih dari 50 tahun, ketika beberapa generasi perintis yang masih hidup, dan pengembangan generasi yang masih dalam proses pengembangan, banyak anggota generasi yang menikmati muncul, bahkan sebagian besar dari kelompok terdidik. What’s wrong? Apa yang salah?

Second, education. Kedua, pendidikan. It is education that can develop the spirit of Indonesia nation. Ia adalah pendidikan yang dapat membangun semangat bangsa Indonesia. Then, what are wrong in education for this young generation? Lalu, apa yang salah dalam pendidikan bagi generasi muda ini?
There are at least nine mistakes in our nation education so far (during New Order): Setidaknya ada sembilan kesalahan pada pendidikan bangsa kita sampai saat ini (selama Orde Baru):

[a] Education management in the past overstressed cognitive aspects, ignoring other aspect so that it gives rise to a generation suffering split personality. [a] Pendidikan manajemen di masa lalu overstressed aspek kognitif, mengabaikan aspek lainnya sehingga memberikan menimbulkan generasi yang menderita split personality.

[b] Over-centralistic education that generated a generation of people that is only able to regard Jakarta (the capital) as the only hope without recognizing opportunities and big potentials in their own local areas. [b] Melalui pendidikan yang sentralistis generasi yang dihasilkan dari orang-orang yang hanya mampu menganggap Jakarta (ibu kota) sebagai satu-satunya harapan tanpa mengenal peluang besar dan potensi lokal di daerah mereka sendiri.

[c] Education failed to build bases for developing a disciplined society [c] Pendidikan gagal untuk membangun dasar untuk mengembangkan masyarakat berdisiplin

[d] Education failed to provide human resources that are ready to compete globally. [d] Pendidikan gagal untuk menyediakan sumber daya manusia yang siap bersaing secara global.

[e] Education management ignored democratization and human right. [e] Pendidikan manajemen diabaikan hak-hak asasi manusia dan demokratisasi. For example, during the new order, teachers/students ratio for schools under Education and Culture Ministry was 1: 14, while in madrasahs (under Ministry of Foreign Affairs) the ratio was only 1: 2000. Sebagai contoh, selama masa orde baru, guru / rasio siswa bagi sekolah di bawah Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan adalah 1: 14, sedangkan di madrasah (di bawah Departemen Luar Negeri) rasio hanya 1: 2000. Another example, educational budget of the government in State Senior High School was Rp 400, 000 while in Madrasah Aliyah was only Rp 4, 000/child/year. Contoh lain, anggaran pendidikan dari pemerintah di SMA Negeri adalah Rp 400, 000 sedangkan di Madrasah Aliyah hanya Rp 4, 000/child/year.

[f] People empowerment in human resources and educational development affairs was subordinated through very centralistic uniformity. [f] Orang dalam pemberdayaan sumber daya manusia dan pembangunan urusan pendidikan yang sangat sentralistis subordinated melalui keseragaman. Therefore, people creativity in developing education wasn’t developing. Oleh karena itu, kreativitas masyarakat dalam pengembangan pendidikan tidak berkembang.

[g] Centralization of national education caused bluntness of local autonomous ideas. [g] sentralisasi pendidikan nasional disebabkan ketumpulan daerah otonom ide.

[h] National education didn’t sufficiently respect cultural plurality so that it was in contradiction with the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity). [h] Pendidikan Nasional tidak cukup menghargai kemajemukan budaya sehingga ia dalam kontradiksi dengan semangat Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (keanekaragaman dalam kesatuan).

[i] Enforced contents of nationalism and patriotism through P4 (Guidance for Comprehending and Practicing Pancasila) and PMP (Pancasila Moral Education) were too dry so that they are contra productive. [i] Enforced isi patriotisme dan nasionalisme melalui P4 (Pedoman untuk Comprehending Practicing dan Pancasila) dan PMP (Pendidikan Moral Pancasila) yang terlalu kering sehingga mereka kontra produktif.

Those nine mistakes in national educational management have provided their following bitter fruits: Sembilan orang-kesalahan dalam pengelolaan pendidikan nasional telah memberikan mereka pahit buah-buahan berikut:

1. 1. Young generation whose insight is low and who doesn’t have idealistic imagination ability. Generasi muda yang rendah dan wawasan yang tidak memiliki kemampuan imajinasi idealistis.

2. 2. Labor force that is unable to compete in global employment market. Tenaga kerja yang tidak dapat bersaing dalam pasar kerja global.

3. 3. Pokey, corrupt, and uncreative bureaucracy. Pokey, korup, dan uncreative birokrasi.

4. 4. Economic players who are not ready act fairly Ekonomi yang tidak siap bertindak adil

5. 5. People who are easily act anarchically. Orang-orang yang mudah bertindak anarchically.

6. 6. Heavily damaged natural resources (mainly forests) Rusak berat sumber daya alam (terutama hutan)

7. 7. Hypocrite intellectuals. Hypocrite intelektual.

8. 8. Foreign debts that is not repayable Utang luar negeri yang tidak patut dibayar

9. 9. Dominance of morally low leaders Dominasi moral rendah dari pemimpin

10. 10. Confused local leaders. Confused pemimpin lokal. Regent of minus areas still hope for funds coming from the central government, while regents of plus areas spend too much money for unimportant things Bupati daerah minus tetap berharap untuk dana yang berasal dari pemerintah pusat, sedangkan dari bupati daerah plus terlalu banyak menghabiskan uang untuk hal-hal sepele

Education in the Reform Era Pendidikan di Era Reformasi
1. 1. Reform era gives rise to cultural shock, like the feeling experienced by a person who has been imprisoned for so many years but then suddenly see the prison’s wall crumbles down. Era reformasi memberi menimbulkan kejutan budaya, seperti perasaan yang dialami oleh orang yang telah dipenjarakan selama bertahun-tahun, namun demikian, maka tiba-tiba melihat penjara dari dinding crumbles bawah. People experience a very different situation with almost unlimited freedom and openness. Orang yang mengalami situasi yang sangat berbeda dengan hampir tidak terbatas kebebasan dan keterbukaan. Because of this euphoric condition, people are not able to think clearly, demanding rights but ignoring duties, criticizing but not providing solutions. Karena Euphoric kondisi ini, orang tidak dapat berpikir jelas, menuntut hak tetapi mengabaikan kewajiban, mengkritik tetapi tidak memberikan solusi.

2. 2. Education society realizes that our human resources as products of our national educational are not able to compete globally so that we are only able to “export” servants, while at home our skilled workers have to compete with foreign skilled workers. Pendidikan masyarakat kita menyadari bahwa sumber daya manusia sebagai produk dari pendidikan nasional kita tidak mampu bersaing secara global, sehingga kita hanya mampu "ekspor" hambaNya, sementara di rumah kami pekerja terampil harus bersaing dengan pekerja asing terampil. The problem is that output of quality education can only be enjoyed after 20-25 years. Masalahnya adalah bahwa output pendidikan berkualitas hanya dapat dinikmati setelah 20-25 tahun. Our uncompetitive human resources at present are products of education system implemented since 20-30 years ago. Kami uncompetitive sumber daya manusia pada saat ini adalah produk dari sistem pendidikan yang dilaksanakan sejak 20-30 tahun yang lalu. We have another problem in connection with radically changing education system: teacher we have now are products of inappropriate education system. Kami punya masalah lain yang terkait dengan radikal mengubah sistem pendidikan: guru kita ada sekarang adalah produk dari sistem pendidikan yang tidak patut. In the concept used by IKIP, teachers are educational instruments, not figures that are able to transfer culture to their students. Dalam konsep yang digunakan oleh IKIP, guru pendidikan adalah instrumen, bukan angka yang mampu mentransfer budaya mereka ke siswa. It is this vicious circle that is hard to break. Adalah ini lingkaran setan yang sulit untuk istirahat.

3. 3. Unfortunately, our education experts have a tendency to mostly refer to textbooks and are lack in doing systemic tests in the field. Sayangnya, ahli-ahli pendidikan kita memiliki kecenderungan untuk kebanyakan merujuk ke buku-buku pelajaran dan kurangnya sistemik dalam melakukan tes di lapangan. SD (elementary schools) teachers are still merely “instructors”, not teachers who are followed like in our national education philosophy since a long time ago. SD (SD) guru masih hanya "instruktur", bukan guru yang diikuti seperti dalam filsafat pendidikan nasional kita sejak lama. Doctors and professors of education should still teach in elementary and junior high schools so that they are able to create culture-based education system, find realities that can be comprehended and formulated into theories, and then meet at bureaucracy level to manage education based on western theories. Dokter dan profesor pendidikan harus tetap mengajar di SD dan SMP, agar mereka dapat menciptakan budaya berbasis sistem pendidikan, menemukan realitas yang dapat comprehended dan dirumuskan ke dalam teori, dan kemudian bertemu di tingkat birokrasi untuk mengelola pendidikan berdasarkan barat teori. As long as education in elementary schools is only handled by “instructors”, it will be more difficult to develop the students at higher education strata. Selama pendidikan di SD hanya ditangani oleh "instruktur", maka akan lebih sulit untuk mengembangkan siswa di strata pendidikan tinggi.

4. 4. Quality education is indeed expensive, but the increase of education budget in APBN (State Budget0 to 20% will not help a lot if National Education Ministry only focuses on certain educational projects, not educational development as a whole. Kualitas pendidikan memang mahal, tetapi kenaikan anggaran pendidikan dalam APBN (State Budget0 sampai 20% tidak akan banyak membantu jika Departemen Pendidikan Nasional hanya berfokus pada beberapa proyek pendidikan, bukan pengembangan pendidikan secara keseluruhan.

5. 5. Private institutions have opportunity to create educational innovations without restricted by complex bureaucracy’s regulations, but it is very making us sad that there are a lot of private educational institutions that are merely business-oriented. Swasta memiliki kesempatan untuk membuat inovasi pendidikan tanpa dibatasi oleh birokrasi kompleks dari peraturan, tapi sangat membuat kita sedih bahwa ada banyak lembaga pendidikan swasta yang hanya berorientasi bisnis.

6. 6. International schools are required as a response to globalization, but opening of international schools by foreign parties is very risky in terms of culture since they have different educational philosophies. Sekolah internasional diperlukan sebagai respon terhadap globalisasi, tetapi pembukaan sekolah internasional oleh pihak asing sangat beresiko dari segi budaya yang berbeda karena ada filosofi pendidikan.

To accelerate and widen culture of learning national, educational budget should not only aim for formal schools but also informal and non-formal schools. Untuk mempercepat dan memperluas budaya belajar nasional, anggaran pendidikan seharusnya tidak hanya bertujuan untuk sekolah formal tetapi juga informal dan non formal sekolah. At one point in the future, employment market will not merely consider certificates given by formal schools but also employees’ skills and these skills can be developed in informal and formal schools. Pada satu titik di masa mendatang, pasar tenaga kerja tidak hanya akan mempertimbangkan sertifikat yang diberikan oleh sekolah formal, tetapi juga karyawan keahlian dan keterampilan ini dapat dikembangkan di sekolah formal dan informal. Academic titles also won’t be relevant in a point in the future. Gelar akademik juga tidak akan relevan dalam satu titik di masa depan.

posted by : Mubarok institute posted by: Mubarok lembaga