Delivering education for all with passion

Warief Djajanto Basorie , Jakarta | Fri, 05/02/2008 1:33 PM | National

In its opening editorial of the new year, Jan. 2, 2008, The Jakarta Post considers education "the most important and pressing challenge Indonesia needs to tackle". The editorial cites the problem that more than two-thirds of the nation's workforce has only a primary school education, and thus Indonesia has a surplus of unskilled workers but a shortage of managers, intellectuals and leaders.

To act purposefully to advance education in reach and quality, we could start by learning the inspiring deeds Indonesia's forebears. Kartini, the late 19th century Javanese princess, advocated greater education opportunities for girls. When she died an early death in childbirth, the blueblood's younger sister, Kardinah, worked to realize Kartini's dream of establishing a number of girls schools.

In 1908, 20-year-old Soetomo and fellow students at the Stovia medical school in what is now in the Kwini Senen area, Central Jakarta, founded the Boedi Oetomo (Noble Endeavor). It was the first indigenous organization in the then Dutch East Indies opening schools in Java and became the spark in Indonesia's nascent nationalist movement for eventual independence. A grateful nation now commemorates the organization's founding date, May 20, as National Awakening Day. This year, 2008, marks the centennial of this bedrock organization.

Soetomo did not live to witness Indonesia's declaration of independence in 1945. But the work he did through the starting of schools and the printing of magazines and a newspaper amounted to the sowing of the seeds of a nation.

Both Kartini and Soetomo had an idea they strongly believed in and acted on. Their passion to make education available for the common people, indeed education for all, is what education campaigners today could emulate.

What can Indonesia do now to enhance education, education with impact?

A primary concern would be coverage: how to make basic and secondary education available to all school-age children. The government is unable to do the job alone. This despite the fact the ministry of national education has the largest purse to spend of any state agency in the national budget.

Private initiative would help considerably to cover children not served by the state school system. The government-created Kejar (catch-up) program in nonformal education with community participation has since the 1970s helped millions of children who could not afford to go to a regular school.

Nongovernment organizations and individuals have taken the Kejar program to heart. Two individuals are Nur Rohim and Sumarno Setiopawiro in Depok, a booming satellite town south of Jakarta. Nur Rohim is a paper-recycling entrepreneur who opened a free community learning center for street kids behind the Depok bus terminal. Sumarno, a college management lecturer, started a smaller center in Gandul, northwest Depok.

Both have that common passion to reach disadvantaged children and are not averse to using their own money. The impact of their education outreach efforts can be heartening in a two-fold way.

First, the children who have taken the program have a better chance to find jobs.

Second, the tangible results of the center's program encourage other community groups to start their own.

A case in point is the Gandul center, Wiyata Ilmu (the Learning Place). Some graduates of that center have advanced to university and obtained jobs such as at the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

Beyond NGOs and individuals, private companies are also engaged in community-based education in line with their corporate social responsibility initiative.

Involving all stakeholders to create awareness and kick-start action with passion will make education available for all.

The author is a freelance writer based in Jakarta. He can be reached at wariefdj@yahoo.com.

Comments (0) | Post comment

A | A | A |