RI education is urban-oriented: Anies Baswedan

Paramadina University rector Anies Rasyid Baswedan says the education system in Indonesia is urban-oriented and deprives students of their association with nature.

“Schools educate children to become urban-minded,” he said Thursday as quoted by kompas.com, adding that farmers’ children could no longer farm after graduating from junior high school.

Anies said that the nuances of urban education in the country could be seen from the content and the education pattern. The textbooks’ contents always refer to city life and the education patterns tend to alienate children from their environment.

Anies said Indonesia needs to rethink its education content and techniques to bring children close to nature and the environment without having to focus on the concept of schools of nature.

 He added that education that was not merely an urban-oriented tool but also needed to foster children's environmental awareness.