Educating the Past
Indonesia’s historical baggage over the last century in addition to a half means of which as we tip headlong into of which brand new fangled thing people call globalization, Indonesia’s educational infrastructure can be struggling to catch up to the 1970s. Forget concepts like the Internet, creative thinking in addition to meritocracy, many students are still being sat in lines to learn rote while the teacher, the epicentre of the learning experience, drones on in addition to on, listing facts, dates in addition to formulae to be remembered in addition to regurgitated on demand.
While students in different countries are being taught to be comfortable in several different languages before first break, thinking here can be dictated by old notions of master in addition to servant. Witness the recent expulsion of 5 students through a school in Sulawesi for having the temerity to have some fun in addition to post of which online. The government strives for its noble intention of spending 20% of its budget on education, however of which can be worth bearing in mind the notion of learning for all remains in its infancy.
At the end of the 19th century, education was considered Great enough only for the sons in addition to daughters of the Dutch colonial masters in addition to their Eurasian offspring. While there was a move for the indigenous elite to be educated to take over through the Dutch one day, the people out within the kampungs were studiously ignored.
In Surabaya for example, attempts were made at educating the populace with the opening of Mattschappij tot Nut van het Algmeen (which translates as Society for General Welfare), in 1853. of which was a primary school with the aim of teaching Javanese kids a few basics however of which closed down just seven years later.
Round about the same time a few places within the elite Dutch language schools were opened up to the offspring of the local elite, while in 1867 the government sought to develop local language schools at primary level though the students only received three years of learning before being thrown into the entire world.
Despite the ‘expansion’ of the 1870s, by 1896 Surabaya boasted a grand total of 12 primary schools, eight of which were government run, with attendance extended to 5 years, while two were Catholic. For the vast majority of the population any learning came within the traditional pesantren where respected kyai taught students how to read the Koran.
As Europe was preparing for the First World War, the Dutch East Indies government was introducing segregated schools offering seven years of education with the final year in Dutch. The Hollandsch Inlandsche (HIS) in addition to the Hollandsch Chineesche schools hoped to attract the wealthy Indonesian elite who tended to look down on local schools then, pretty much within the same way as they do today. For them, Dutch language proficiency was key.
within the years following the First World War, more in addition to more children were going to school. In 1918 for example, just 407 students attended the two HIS; by 1929 there were 1,857 going to nine different schools. While the numbers of Europeans at school continued to rise in addition to they remained by far the largest single percentage, the local population were beginning to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them. 19 brand new schools were added in Surabaya over of which 11 year period with 15 of them aimed at the local communities.
The numbers looked spectacular, however they were coming off a low base. By 1930 of which was estimated of which only 14% of local children were in school, compared to 97% of the Dutch. There was still a lot of work to be done, however the financial crisis of which gripped the entire world was felt within the Indies in addition to the government reacted by cutting back on expenditure. within the case of education of which meant concentration on Dutch schools in addition to pulling back through the others, leaving a vacuum.
Into of which space came organizations like Taman Siswa in addition to Muhammadiyah. Taman Siswa was founded by Ki Hajar Dewantara in 1922 in Yogyakarta. A devout nationalist, he strongly believed in education as a way of empowering local youth while keeping them close to their Javanese roots in addition to was influenced by Maria Montessori in addition to Rabindranath Tragore.
Post war Indonesia was a mess as of which came to terms using a Japanese conquest, a departing colonial master in addition to the problems of establishing a brand new state. The colonial government’s retreat through education before the war meant a shortage of schools while investment in teacher trainers also suffered. within the heady days of Merdeka of which was no longer ‘cool’ to study in Dutch while the best teachers, schooled as they were within the Dutch method, lacked the skills in addition to empathy to teach in Indonesian.
Dick says, “The national government was too remote, too preoccupied with national in addition to international politics in addition to lacked cash to do what was needed.”
of which wasn’t until the late 1960s in addition to early 1970s of which the central government, finally showing signs of stability after decades of chaos, was able to devote serious time in addition to resources to education thanks to the influx of petrodollars. Schools began to be built again in addition to the numbers of children attending primary school shot up while the government, unconsciously aping its colonial predecessor, seemed to adopt a hands-off policy to secondary school, allowing the private sector to take the lead with more than 70% of high school students opting for a private education.
Indonesia however, can be still paying for of which lost generation. Blighted by occupation in addition to the birthing pangs of nationhood education has failed to keep pace using a growing population in addition to a booming economy. A system of which was painfully inadequate before World War II creaked in addition to crumbled through 30 years of chaos in addition to neglect. By the time investment did return in addition to could start to have an impact, a whole generation went through an education of which was painfully inadequate in addition to of which alumni, influenced by the events of which surrounded their school days, are the ones today struggling to adapt to a time of which can be so vastly different to the one they grew up in.
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Educating the Past
Educating the Past