Forging connections: International student exchange programmes and partnerships are being forged to develop civic responsibility

In 2011, the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) named five priority programmes: early childhood education; ensuring all children aged 7 to 15 attend school; vocational education; improving university competitiveness in research and innovation; and giving scholarships to lecturers to earn doctoral degrees. The last item – teacher qualification – constitutes a major challenge. The 2005 Teacher Law set minimum formal qualifications for staff, requiring teachers to acquire basic certification. However, many still even lack this.

MAKING BETTER EDUCATORS: According to Abdullah Alkaff, who is serving as senior advisor to MoNE, in an effort to ensure all teaching staff are qualified, the ministry is providing scholarships for lecturers to study abroad. Many scholarships are for double-degree programmes at universities in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Singapore and, recently, Taiwan. In all, about 3000 Indonesian teachers each year pursue either a masters or doctorate abroad, according to Alkaff. In addition, the MoNE runs double-degree programmes with the University of Queensland (Australia), University of Groningen (the Netherlands), Curtin University (Australia), the University of Strathclyde and Newcastle University (both in the UK). Also the MoNE wants to improve vocational skills. “We are pushing the development of vocational schools. From 2010 until 2012, 20 new polytechnic schools will be built all around Indonesia,” Alkaff told OBG.

MAKING BETTER STUDENTS: Another pilot project is an effort to build community colleges in each city and in all regency capitals, with between 8 and 20 community colleges being built in 2010-12. These schools cater to high school graduates, and the schooling will be transferable to a university. “This makes it cheaper for students to go to university because they have the chance to study for the first two years in their hometown, and then finish the last two years at university,” Alkaff said. Indonesia and Australia have held strong regional ties for a long time, especially when it comes to education. The Australia Indonesia Education Partnership has played a vital role by assisting Indonesia in improving education quality and school management.

The partnership has funded construction of more than 2000 schools in poor and remote areas, providing access to education for almost 330,000 children.

By 2015, the partnership will have invested around $500m in building and expanding schools, training teachers, and promoting pluralism and tolerance. The partnership also plans to construct or expand up to 2000 more junior secondary schools and create approximately 300,000 new places for junior secondary school students; work with the government to improve the quality of school management via training for Indonesia’s 293,000 school principals, school supervisors and district education officials; support Islamic education by helping around 1500 madrasas meet national education standards; and work with the European Union and the Asian Development Bank to strengthen policy.

MAKING BETTER CITIZENS: Closer to home, the Centre for Civic Education Indonesia (CCEI), based in Jakarta, is a non-profit organisation involved in education programmes. CCEI aims to support development of the country’s civic and educational life via training and student exchange programmes with the US. Indeed, the country’s past experience with authoritarian rule means many have not learned about the democratic process or do not understand their rights and responsibilities.

Since its founding in 2002, CCEI has held training programmes for more than 5000 teachers and educators in civic education. William Ryan, director of CCEI, told OBG that it has more than 250 alumni from its exchange programmes held since 2004. In addition, CCEI’s civic education programmes help people become effective, democratic citizens. In partnership with local universities and government entities, CCEI gives young people the skills needed to address problems in society. Programmes such as Foundation of Democracy, We Are the People and the Indonesian Youth Leadership Programme help young people learn how to actively engage with the democratic process and find solutions to conflict.