T

he government of President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo has officially introduced the 12-year compulsory education program. As outlined in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2015-2019, this program will provide schoolchildren of aged 7 to 18 years with education services from elementary to senior secondary school.

The program'€™s importance rests on the need to improve our human resources given rapid challenges in a globalized economy and knowledge based society.

The main purposes of the 12-year compulsory education are fourfold.

First, to promote equality in education as mandated by the 1945 Constitution with education as a basic right for all, regardless of social-cultural background, geographic location and economic status.

Second, to decrease disparity at the senior secondary level between the poorest and the richest groups.

Third, to improve skills, competence and expertise among the young.

Fourth, to prepare secondary students with basic proficiencies in knowledge, aptitude and ability, as primary requirements for tertiary education.

This program is particularly crucial for strengthening social cohesion and pivotal to prepare young and productive people in their transition period before university or while seeking employment.

A study by the World Bank in 2013 showed that one out of three high school graduates are in favor of entering university, while the rest seek jobs.

For jobseekers the 12-year compulsory education would equip them with additional knowledge and better skills.

More importantly, within the next 15 years (2015-2030) Indonesia is projected to gain a '€œdemographic bonus'€ with the majority of the population being young people, who should be equipped with good education and vocational training.

With the above program, by 2020 the government targets 92 percent enrollment up to 12 years in school.

Nevertheless, we need to take into account the discrepancy of education participation. The 2013 National Social-Economic Survey by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) demonstrated that the proportion of quintile one (the poorest 20 percent of the population) staying in school was only 42.9 percent.

Meanwhile, the proportion of quintile five (the richest 20 percent) attaining secondary education reached 75.3 percent.

This illustrates the grave problem of educational inequity. We should also observe the discrepancy of school enrollment among provinces and among regencies in the same province.

The Education and Culture Ministry data in 2013 showed there were still nine provinces and 177 (32.5 percent) regencies with net enrollment rates for junior secondary education, which were far below the national average (76.6 percent).

For example, enrollment for junior high school (SMP) in Sukabumi and Pangandaran regencies in West Java were 54.28 percent and 56.85 percent respectively; in Sampang and Bangkalan, East Java, enrollment was 54.56 percent and 63.46 percent.

In West Kalimantan, SMP enrollment in Kapuas and Barito Utara reached 44.48 percent and 41.52 percent; Sumba Tengah and Sumba Timur in East Nusa Tenggara had SMP enrollment of 52.68 percent and 54.52 percent; Bangka Selatan and Bangka Tengah in Bangka Belitung attained 41.73 percent and 63.05 percent; and the regencies of Waropen and Puncak in Papua province were even worse, with respectively only 24.87 percent and 24.92 percent enrolled in junior high school.

Such stark discrepancy must be overcome, and local governments with very low achievement in school enrollment should accomplish the nine-year compulsory education first before introducing the 12-year compulsory program.

Overcoming the disparity of education attainment is indeed the major challenge. Nonetheless, we must be aware of the quality and relevance of education, otherwise the 12-year program will be meaningless.

The quality depends very much on both professional teachers and the adequacy of infrastructure and other educational facilities, including laboratories and libraries.

Educational relevance can be gauged by the employability of graduates, since industry requires adept and proficient employees to meet professional jobs.

But the BPS'€™ National Labor Force Survey data (2013) show a poor profile of Indonesia'€™s workforce, as 61.32 percent had only primary and junior secondary education.

In promoting secondary education the teaching-learning process should be able to develop critical thinking and analytical skills of students; meanwhile, the curriculum should include general knowledge (e.g. mathematics, sciences, vocational skills and technical abilities in subject fields, language and communication).

This wide variety of knowledge and skills is needed in the industry and work place.

Thus, introducing the 12-year compulsory education program should not only focus on increasing access but also improving the quality of education.

Without quality assurance, it will only increase unemployment, which burdens the country'€™s economy.
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the proposition of ... the poorest 20 percent of the population staying in school was only 42.9 percent.
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The writer, an anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Sussex, UK, works at the directorate of education at the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS). The views expressed are his own.