When Russia launched Sputnik Into Space plane at the end of 1957, the United States was shocked and felt left behind from these rivals. U.S. Politicians and community panic, and immediately accused of education as the ringleader behind the U.S. from Russia. President John F. Kennedy immediately respond to a serious "low quality" the current U.S. education and launched a program of education quality pressings. Finally, in 1969, Neil Armstrong had landed the Apollo on the Moon.
This is called Sputnik Securities America, surprised at the pace that brings to American public awareness of the need for a change. Our nation is already very often surprised various international agencies that provide ratings that are not pleasant to hear? Atermasuk when international agencies are under the auspices of the UN organizations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) issued a report ranking countries according to the Human Development Index (HDI) 2004. Our country was ranked 111 out of 175 countries. Perhaps, because the issue of human quality of our low we've heard, so the ordinary - plain and did not respond to this serious problem.
Concern, according to the report, why the quality of Indonesia's human right - really much lower than Singapore (25), Brunei (33), Malaysia (58), Thailand (76), and the Philippines (83)? Why would we lower the quality of countries 'backward' as Kyrgyzstan (110), Guinea-Equatorial (109), and Algeria (108)?
Although not all data that supports the complete and actual data, basically the HDI is a unit developed by UNDP to measure the success of a country's development. HDI is a number that is processed according to three dimensions, ie length of age (longevity), knowledge (knowledge), and living standards (standard of living) of a nation. Technically, these three dimensions are translated into several indicators, ie health (and population), education, and economics. So far, only the earnings are often a measure of welfare or progress of a nation. But the HDI combines measures of life expectancy, education, literacy and income, to see the development of a country more broadly.
Health indicators regarding infant mortality rate (infant mortality rate), mortality (under-five mortality rate), and others. Demographic indicators related to life expectancy (life expectancy), residents who do not have a life expectancy up to age 60 years (people not expected to survive to age 60), and others. Educational indicators concerning literacy rate (literacy rate), children educated through the fifth grade (Children Reaching grade 5), education participation rates (Enrolment ratio), and others. The economic indicators include indices related to poverty (poverty index).
Of the various indicators, the HDI is a measure of the success of health development, education, and economy of a nation. The implication, high HDI indicates the success of health development, education, and economics. Conversely, a low HDI indicates the failure of development of health, education, and economy of a country.
An interesting and we should underline, Based on the UNDP report, Indonesia's Human Development Index continued to sag since 1975. These data are confirmed even with a tally of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), which shows the HDI Indonesia has suffered a setback, especially since 1996. The trend decline in HDI is mainly for components of infant mortality and blind-free numbers letters among the adult population.
That means, we do not develop human qualities-growing from 1974, and even continued to sag? Human resources development program model of what we do now? Our human resources for approximately 30 years without improvement, showing how the absence of thought, the seriousness and the willingness of this nation toward a change.
To this day, people could have said Indonesia was still slumped both politically, economically, socially and culturally. Most of the people and politicians to claim that it is all due to the occurrence of storms in the Asian crisis that hit Indonesia's economy system since the middle of 1997 ago. Starting from where the next crisis came in a variety of surfaces.
Such analysis may be true, but it puts the economic crisis as the sole determinant is certainly not appropriate. Why South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia was able to re-race, while we can not perfectly upright?
We should agree that there are actually more fundamental factors as the cause of our slump; namely the failure of our national education. Indeed today we are reaping the long-term impact of the failure of national education. Indonesia Kekurangtangguhan nation today is the result of a bad trip education 15, 20 to 30 years ago. So far, we are less serious about taking care of education and today we are reaping the effects.
Because our education does not produce a cadre of people willing sincere and capable professionals, we are not able to withstand the crisis, and when the various crises that have raged in the fall brings us then we too difficult to perform recovery.
We can learn from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and so forth; when hurricanes strike the crisis countries of Asia they still survive. Why? Because they have a tough generation to fight the crisis. And, this toughness is the positive impact of the implementation of national education.
In the matter of such budget; first government since we do not want to allocate the education budget in sufficient quantities. From year to year, it was never even once the size of our education budget exceeds 10 percent of the total state budget. Draft State budget for 2004 only 7 percent of education funding, much of the promises of 20 percent previously. As a result the cost of education in Indonesia is too expensive for the economic ability. Not only in college, tuition fees for primary and secondary schools is still very expensive for our society. Education costs to be borne to enter the school is very diverse and the amount was very large, of building money, book money, uniforms, examination fees, not to mention other levies. With unemployment high and incomes are low most of the population, the costs should be borne to the school can not be tackled alone by the public.
We do not want to look reality right - left; for example to Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand education budget allocates at least 15 percent of total spending each year. Budget for education in Malaysia is often reached 20 percent. Twenty years ago Malaysia was a "disciple" us; many Malaysian youths were sent to Indonesia to study at various universities us. On the other hand the government of Malaysia is also bringing a lot of teachers, lecturers, and our researchers to develop national education. The Malaysian government officials have a sense of commitment and an adequate education by allocating the education budget significantly. As a result, Malaysia advanced developed with a strong human resources.
In the first Human Development Report 1990, UNDP warned, the main objective of development is human well-being (human welfare). With this going affirmed, indicators of progress should not be limited to income per capita, but should include the advancement of education. A developed nation is a nation of sons and daughters intelligent and mature. Just Be smart people who can change their fate and the fate of a nation
Although we believe that the UNDP report was not 100 percent valid, what harm we feel surprised, shocked and draw lessons from the publication? More low quality of Indonesian human compared with neighboring countries and most backward country we have to admit to serve as the trigger tool and boosters to self-improvement. If not, we manage the implications ketidaksungguhan education today will feel the consequences of fifteen to thirty years. At that time, the era of free trade in the world is spinning and not impossible, for human beings - human beings we would just be a power - power workers own country.
In the near future, the Indonesian people will choose a new president and government. The new president will have to be surprised by the condition of human resources, like the Americans who've suffered the effects of Sputnik. Pascaefek Sputnik, the U.S. government to provide unlimited funds for education, empowering the regions and cities to promote education, and help units to conduct a quality education community.
Than we Kasak - may I buzz arguing about a woman president, the president of the military or civilian, from the group New Order or not, nationalist or religious - we better integrate the opinion that the next president should be someone who can advance the education of the nation. We must be able to agree that we must elect a president who cares for the nation's educational backwardness. Criteria that should be number one and most certainly we must heed.
