5 Ways to Improve Education in Indonesia

ON AUGUST 8, 2016WORLD NEWS

SEATTLE — In recent years, the Indonesian government made significant strides toward accessible
education in Indonesia. However, as of 2012, only 51 percent of adolescents ages 15 to 18
attended school. This lack of attendance at the secondary and tertiary education levels makes it
difficult for employment agencies to fill their ranks with qualified laborers. In order to address this issue,
the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently published a list of educational goals for Indonesia:

1. Give High Priority to Early Education

“Early childhood education lays the foundations for greater success further down the education pipeline,
greater equity of opportunities and outcomes, and more efficient use of education system resources
overall,” wrote the ADB. Fortunately, Indonesia greatly progressed in this sector, but the country still
needs rapid expansion.

The Indonesian government only allocates 1.2 percent of its education budget to early education
development. The ADB strongly encourages a change in this budget breakdown. This statistic needs to
increase by at least three percentage points in order to meet current requirements.

2. Improve Participation in Basic Education

Children living in urban areas tend to receive a higher quality education in Indonesia than those in rural
zones. Over the years, Indonesia’s urban areas progressed in their participation in standardized
education, and for the most part, urban teachers are well-trained and well-equipped to teach their
students. However, not only are school buildings scantily available in rural areas, but if a school
house does exist, teachers oftentimes struggle to show up for class.

The ADB likens education in Indonesia to a “leaking pipeline”– students fall through cracks the further
they get into their education. In some areas, the expectation for scholastic learning is so low that the
greater capability a child has to provide financially for his or her family, the less likely it is that they will
attend school.

This educational disconnect could improve through consistent contact between a teacher and their
students, evaluating students’ progress, and more accountability between teachers and supervisors
in monitoring students’ work. According to the ADB, the government should also be prepared to allocate
more funds for the equal distribution of schools throughout the country. Hopefully, leaders will come to
the realization that funding education is a positive investment for the future.

3. Create a Better System for the Allocation of Funds

The ADB observed that there is very little fiscal transparency at the Indonesian district level. The concern
that the educational funds provided in many districts are not used for their intended purposes might
have merit, as reports show that 75 percent of the schools in Indonesia fall below the requirement for
minimum service standards.

To avoid this dilemma, each individual district could develop a set of goals to help it reach its level of
minimum service standards relative to its own circumstances. All districts should be held accountable for
the allocation of funds and receive training on how to most efficiently use the money towards improving
students’ learning experiences.

4. Develop a Better System of Vocational Training

In Indonesia, technical-vocational education and training (TVET) are fractured efforts between the
government, individual districts and the private sector. This convoluted system causes effort toward
vocational development to be either duplicated or unavailable in many regions. Increased coordination is
necessary between the parties involved in order to achieve a more efficient effort toward better
vocational education for the students.

In many cases, TVET students are taught by teachers who possess little experience in the educational
field. This lack of qualification often results in a student leaving his or her educational experience with
inadequate skills to perform efficiently in the workplace.

As a solution, the ADB proposes consolidating these various TVET efforts into a single coordinated body.
As for the teachers, the ADB suggests that they be given reciprocating contracts that allow them to move
between their work in the field and their instruction in the classroom. In this way, all parties
involved would be able to stay updated with the changes that occur in their area of expertise.

5. Increase Emphasis on Adult Education

Less than half of the Indonesian adult population has received higher than a primary education in
Indonesia. Not 30 percent of individuals between the ages of 25 and 64 have attained a senior secondary
education or higher. Gender inequality also runs rampant, as the literacy rates of women are half that of
men.

Though many courses of action could be taken, the ADB suggests that in order to best increase adult
levels of education, night classes in local colleges and vocational schools should be offered for the
working adult. To address the issue of gender inequality, women should be given special classes that
address a range of useful topics that enhance their abilities in everyday life.

Despite Indonesia’s progress in the past two decades, the educational field can still be improved upon. If
the government continues to support educational programs and make gender and vocational
improvements a priority, the Overseas Development Institute projects that in the near future, Indonesia
will be able to reach their goal of providing everyone in its borders with an education.

– Preston Rust