Dr. Mame S. Sutoko, Ir, DEA (Rector of Widyatama University)
When it comes to higher education, the issues and challenges faced are increasingly complex. The development of higher education in Indonesia has not progressed from the past.
IMG_50961In reality, education in Indonesia is still lagging behind other Asian countries. When compared to the rest of the world, Indonesia ranks at the bottom. Therefore, education in Indonesia has not progressed much.
Dr. Mame S. Sutoko, Ir, DEA (Rector of Widyatama University)
When it comes to higher education, the issues and challenges faced are increasingly complex. The development of higher education in Indonesia has not moved on from the past.
When we look at the reality, education is still low compared to other Asian countries. Especially when compared at the global level, Indonesia is only at the bottom of the list. So, education in Indonesia has not made much progress.
What is the cause? First, there is clearly an economic vicious cycle. This is because the level of prosperity of the Indonesian people has not progressed as quickly as in other countries. Take the 1950s, for example. At that time, third world countries were just beginning to declare their independence. These countries began to implement development models that were all aimed at increasing prosperity.
“We gained independence earlier, so we should be better off than countries that have only recently gained independence,” said Dr. Mame Sutoko, DEA. The rector of Widyatama University gave an example: in 1962, Indonesia was able to host the Asian Games, while Korea was still embroiled in civil war. However, 60 years later, the reality has reversed 180 degrees. We are now far behind them. Korea has transformed into a developed country. They are now capable of producing high-tech goods.
Not to mention Korea, we are still lagging behind Malaysia. This neighboring country was our student in the mid-70s. In terms of prosperity, Malaysia’s per capita income has reached $8,000, while Indonesia’s is only $3,000.
Education is indeed correlated with economic factors. This is because education is not cheap. This means that education is not merely a matter of dedication or loyalty, as taught by Ki Hajar Dewantoro. Dedication and loyalty have their limits. Without economic capability, it is difficult to talk about quality education, whether it be primary, secondary, or higher education.
Higher education, in particular, is still relatively underdeveloped compared to neighboring countries. It is even more concerning than in the past. This can be seen from various independent survey rankings, such as the Time Higher Education Survey (THES), Shanghai Zia Dong, Quacquarelli Symonds, Webometric, and 4 ICU. In general, it can be said that the level of higher education in Indonesia is at the bottom of the list, along with the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Lack of Commitment
According to this ITB alumnus and lecturer, this lag is due to inconsistent public policy. The early years of independence were marked by liberal leadership, which gradually shifted toward central planning through presidential decrees. Then, the old order military leadership tended to lean toward a market economy dominated by authoritarianism and collaboration between bureaucrats and businesspeople in the highest circles of power. The reform era continues to reflect a market economy with demands for democracy that are not fully understood or properly implemented. All of this has resulted in many public practices and policies that are inconsistent with the original ideals of the Republic.
On the other hand, public policy makers are also unaware of their role as institutions responsible for improving the quality and accessibility of national education (not State Education!). So far, the Government’s focus has only been on State Universities. In fact, State Universities only accommodate 30 percent of the student population.
Therefore, it is difficult to talk about improving national higher education when private universities, which accommodate 70 percent of the student body, are still operating with all their shortcomings. According to Mame, national higher education does not only involve state universities (PTN). In fact, the majority of higher education institutions are private universities (PTS). Unfortunately, the state budget allocation shows that almost all of the budget is allocated to PTN.
In fact, many ‘subsidized’ PTNs are not progressing and their quality is far below that of PTSs.
“I am not asking for help or urging that PTSs be given the same budget. But at the very least, attention should be paid to the students. They are the future of the nation, and their parents are also taxpayers who experience many financial difficulties. You don’t have to look as far as Kalimantan or Papua; even in Java, there are still many who cannot afford to continue their higher education,“ said Mame.
According to Mame, what is happening now is that the scholarship quota for PTN students has tripled, while private university students only receive an allocation of less than a third of that. ”This is discrimination. They are all Indonesian citizens. This should also be taken into consideration,” said Mame Sutoko emphatically.
In addition, according to Mame, the government must also issue a policy on the division of functions between public and private universities. For example, public universities should be more focused on exact sciences and engineering, as well as rare sciences that are less popular and require large amounts of capital. Meanwhile, many social sciences are developing quite well in private universities.
“If public universities also open the same study programs, private universities will clearly lose the competition. Universities such as Widayatama University are able to keep up, but small private universities will eventually close down. The government must make policies that are favorable to the private sector. Keep in mind that private universities accommodate 70 percent of the total student population, and private investment is also part of national investment,” said Mame.
According to the law, the government is obliged to provide schools for the new generation. However, we must also understand that the government does not yet have the capacity to provide everything, from primary, secondary, and higher education. Therefore, the private sector is motivated to fill this gap.
Private educational institutions are partners of the government. The private sector is independent in its operations. Therefore, in order to provide quality education, management, skills, dedication, and loyalty are required. This means that the income earned from students must be returned in the form of improved education quality and graduates. “Private universities should not only focus on income, but also maintain quality,” Mame reminded.
In addition to a lack of commitment to advancing higher education, according to Mame, the government does not seem to understand the source of the problems faced. The 20% increase in the education budget from the state budget has not shown any significant changes. This is because the figure is only equivalent to 4% of Indonesia’s GDP or 0.13% of the US GDP, and this budget is allocated to various ineffective, inconsistent, and unsustainable programs.
In addition, the Directorate General of Higher Education does not have a planning system, including reliable human resources. The main source of this problem is that state university lecturers work part-time without official status and lack a clear understanding or commitment to the development of higher education. The issues facing the higher education sector in Indonesia today seem to be no different from those of 40 years ago, and the gap with the rest of the world has even widened.
Latah
It has become customary for policy makers to be latah in responding to new developments or issues.
The issue of World Class Universities (WCU) has emerged in line with the rise of higher education institution rankings by various independent ranking agencies, encouraging universities in various countries to pursue ‘world-class’ status.
Of course, improving quality standards at the international level is not a bad thing. But it should be remembered that this effort requires a large allocation of funds and human resources. The question is: are the benchmarks required in various aspects appropriate in the context of national needs or demands?
Rather than aspiring to achieve “world-class” status, it would be better for the government to focus on the basic needs of higher education, such as access opportunities for secondary school graduates or the continuity of education for the underprivileged. What is the point of achieving world-class university standards if many young people are unable to continue their higher education or drop out halfway through?
It is better to weigh the trade-offs between these two equally important aspects wisely, considering that Indonesia’s resources are very limited compared to other countries. WCU standards do not have to be applied or required for all institutions because improving quality requires gradual infrastructure development, which cannot be done instantly. (Oki/Sugeng)
