Full Day School, Quo Vadis, Our Education?

Education is a tool to elevate a nation from the very bottom situation to be better, that is why our government (in Indonesia) to make a rule that education is a compulsory from Elementary to Senior. Now, many people in Indonesia go to higher, universities.

In fact, many graduations from university can’t make an elevation at least in their own life. We can get spectacular mark from lecturers easily. Then, we have to ask to ourselves what the purposes of education are. Is it good mark or good life?

The wrong assuming from educated person (We have to ask again what the real meaning of educated person is) is good life will get if we have good mark in education. In the such of situation, many students do everything in case to get good mark from lecturers and this situation is used by lecturers to get more money from his/her students.

The corruption just appeared. The purpose of education is blurred. Many people nowadays don’t believe that higher education makes people educated. They don’t believe to the system of education anymore. Education only talks about money. You have money then you can buy academic title, it doesn’t important whether you have skills and knowledge or not.

Recently, The Minister of Education and Culture announced that he will launch a rule that the all students in Elementary and Junior high school should be in school long day named “full day school”. It is controversial; many people in Indonesia think it is not such a wise rule.

Well, the aim is purely good but it is not match to all regions in Indonesia. The situation in villages or counties is not same to the situation in the cities. We believe that the Minister knows about it, that is why the writer thinks that, it is just a sensational act to make him famous.

The writer is not talking that our new Minister is stupid, but you can conclude it by yourself. The title of this writing is good to ask (read: discuss) Quo Vadis, our education? If the Minister itself make such a lack rules the teachers will do their job under pressure and become stressful, and going to school will be only a routine. Important to remember, the teachers also have their own children who need caring from his mother and father. Does he think that all teachers have children who study in Elementary or Junior only? Has the Minister think all about it?

Dear our Minister, please think again before you launch it to all school in Indonesia. To make people more educated doesn’t mean that you have to send them to the school longer, not at all. Things that we need are free from school fee, skilled teachers, many books in the library, sophisticated laboratory, good system, nice yard so we can play many games on it and nice building. If you can make it real, without your rule which force us to stay longer (all day) in school we will stay longer, or we can stay there sometimes, make a camp just only want to see a beautiful stars on the sky. Hmmm, lovely school!

Jakarta, 10th August 2016

Tomson Sabungan Silalahi