[Nasional-m] The dilemma with compulsory education

[Ambon]

The jakarta Post
Aug. 26, 2002

The dilemma with compulsory education

Darmaningtyas, Center for the Betterment of Education, Jakarta
The nine-year compulsory education program was launched in 1994 with
optimism that it would be fully implemented by 2004. Several indicators
supported that optimism, such as the country's high economic growth rate,
the government's financial capacity and the spirit of other stakeholders.
However, the economic crisis that struck in July 1997 ended up as a
multicrisis. As a result, all parties, including the government, were
uncertain about when the program would be implemented. The World Bank, which
only focuses on macro-aspects, was incapable of predicting real conditions,
while the communities involved were just ignored.
Now under the sway of regional autonomy, the nine-year compulsory education
program is becoming ever more problematic, with a questionable future as the
central government and regional administrations shirk their
responsibilities.
No clear division of authority has been drawn up to determine which party is
most accountable for the completion of this program: the central government
or the regions. The central government always claims it has turned over
educational affairs to the regions, through the General Allocation Fund
(DAU) it provides. The regions keep complaining about the DAU, describing it
as too small to finance education.
The various issues now accumulating could further worsen the national
education system, and unless these issues are promptly dealt with the
nine-year compulsory education program could become trapped in limbo.
These issues include the numerous damaged elementary school buildings,
teacher shortages, limited facilities and a dwindling public capacity and
willingness to finance education. Conversely, some state primary schools and
private secondary schools are closed due to enrollment downturns.
These issues are playing out all over the country, in both rural and urban
areas. The root cause of this educational quandary lies in bureaucracy and
funding.
Buildings are the biggest issue, with no less than half of the primary
schools (SDs) in Indonesia being damaged in various degrees of severity.
Based on research on elementary education in Madura, with the support of the
aid organization Oxfam GB, the situation on this East Java island may
reflect the general situation of basic education outside Java.
Administratively, Madura belongs to the territory of East Java, with
Surabaya, the second largest city in the country, the provincial capital.
Yet Madura's primary education is no better than that in other regions, with
poor participation and achievements, poor infrastructure and facilities, and
a considerable scarcity of teachers.
Crumbling school buildings, acknowledged by local executive and legislative
officials, can be found in Bangkalan regency, where 15 percent to 20
percent, or 101 to 135 of 678 primary schools, have collapsed. Repairing
these buildings would cost over Rp 100 million, and the local administration
can only repair five to seven primary schools a year.
In Sampang regency, 400 of 589 primary school buildings are damaged and 80
other schools now have no buildings, forcing schoolchildren to attend
classes in villagers' homes or mosques; in Pamekasan regency, 40 percent of
schools are severely damaged.
In all, ruined school buildings are easier to find than well maintained
ones.
Sampang has sustained the most neglect because its political leaders have
been in constant conflict, leading to neglect in educational matters.
Meanwhile, Sampang is Madura's regency with the greatest number of refugees
from Sampit, thereby increasing its socio-economic burden.
Madura also faces a shortage of teachers, with many primary schools having
only three to four plus a school principal. Ideally, one primary school
should have six teachers, two more teachers for religion and sports, a
principal and an errand boy, totaling 10 staff members in all.
In one public elementary school in Pancur, Ketapang, Sampang regency, a lack
of teachers has led to a delivery man joining the teaching staff.
The poor condition of buildings and the scarcity of teachers have prompted
locals to send their children to Islamic schools, or madrasah. But the
educational quality in the madrasah is not far different because of limited
facilities, which force children to write on classroom floors. And most of
the teachers are secondary school graduates, thus failing to meet the
qualifications for the primary level of madrasah.
But teachers at this level are adequate and observe discipline, in contrast
to those at public elementary schools. However, the level of general
knowledge is higher in public schools, given the greater weight placed on
religious education in Madura's madrasah.