Alfian, Jakarta – The government has been ignoring the country's education problems in preference for making the sector more commercial, said Marcellinus Marcellino, vice rector of the Atmajaya Catholic University and Winarno Surachmad, former rector of the Teachers Training Institute (IKIP) of Jakarta.

The educators said a number of current regulations were harmful and did not provide solutions to issues in the education sector.

Both men said the government had tried to liberalize the education sector through a draft bill on education and a presidential regulation listing businesses open to foreign investment.

Marcellinus said the World Trade Organization (WTO) also perceived education as a service, which meant education was viewed as "both liberalized and commercialized". "Since Indonesia has signed (with the) WTO, we (have been) deceived by the organization's rules," he said.

Based on presidential regulations, foreign investors can acquire up to a 49 percent share of an educational institution at all levels of the Indonesian system.

But Winarno said despite the limitation, the amount was still considered harmful for the sector. "Even 15 percent of foreign investment is enough to destroy our education," he said.

Winarno said foreign investors would only seek profit-making ventures when choosing their partner institutions.

"The investors will only look for well-established institutions in big cities," he said. "As a result, foreign investment will only widen the existing gap-in-access to education between the rich and the poor and between big cities and remote areas."

Winarno's statement was supported by Marcellinus who said local schools would close down if foreign investment came to Indonesia's education sector.

Marcellinus said, "Indonesian students will perceive local schools as less qualified and they will no longer have any interest to enroll. It could also increase the percentage of unemployed scholars both from university and from IKIP."

Marcellinus said he was worried an infiltration of foreign investment would reduce emotional and cultural bonds among Indonesian students.

The draft bill on education saw the government try to make state-run education institutions more independent financially. But Marcellinus said it was an attempt by the government to run away from its responsibility toward the education sector.

"Privatization of education is not effective at this time," he said. "We are not ready to welcome foreign parties into our education sector because the quality of our education is still very low," he said.

Winarno also questioned the limited education budget being used as an excuse to invite foreign investors. "The government is still confused on how to allocate the current budget," he said.

"It doesn't have a commitment toward education because the government doesn't understand education. For the 2009 presidential election, I hope educators will vote for president candidates who are concerned with education."