Jakarta – Joko Widodo's central plan for developing education in Indonesia lies in his conception of a "mental revolution."

Joko has argued that what Indonesian children need the most is the right way of thinking, a way of thinking that fosters resilience and moral strength. This honing of the right mentality, he argued, will, in turn, boost the nation's productivity and its economy.

Included in his proposed mental revolution is the thorough teaching of ethics and citizenship to students. And in one of the presidential debates, Joko said that should he be elected president, he will roll out his mental revolution promise by revamping the nation's education system.

Joko said that the primary school curriculum should consist of 20 percent science and 80 percent character education. The ratio would subsequently be raised to 40:60 for middle school students and to 80:20 for high school and vocational school students.

Another key promise on education that Joko has made is the distribution of "Indonesia Pintar" cards. The card will ensure that children across Indonesia will have free access to education, until they finish high school.

Prabowo Subianto's key plan to develop Indonesia's education system is by improving the salary of teachers and by ensuring the status of some teachers who currently work only as a contract employers.

Another key promise that has been delivered by Prabowo is that he will improve research and development in the nation by strengthening the ties between research institutions and the private sector as well as by increasing the allocated state budget for research purposes.

"We will develop innovative centers using a triple-helix approach," Prabowo's running mate Hatta Rajasa said during the fourth presidential debate, referring to his and presidential candidate Prabowo's program for increasing funding for innovation by engaging the private sector.

"First, the government will increase its own research budget. Second, the government will provide incentives for companies involved in research development. And third, the government will issue a regulation to accelerate entrepreneurship programs."

Education and corruption

Education remains one of the most serious problems that needs to be tackled in Indonesia. While improving the quality of education in the nation should be a priority, ensuring that there is no corruption in the system is of equal importance. According to investigations done by nongovernmental organization Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), corruption is rampant in Indonesia's education system.

Banten province, located west of Jakarta, is an example of how corrupt Indonesia's education system can be. In 2013, according to activists, Banten's education system suffered more from corruption than that of any other province in Indonesia.

"I think it is clear: In Banten, education is hardly the priority of the regional government," Indonesia Corruption Watch researcher Ade Irawan says. "Education is used by the [ruling] dynasty for profiteering. If you look at the corruption cases in Banten, education is one of their main targets. There are many government projects related to education in Banten. They are fertile ground for corruption."

When corruption watchdogs refer to "the dynasty" in Banten, they are talking about detained corruption suspect Ratu Atut, who is still the governor, and her family. Nearly a dozen of her direct relatives hold political office in the province. Her brother, Tubagus "Wawan" Chaeri Wardana, has been convicted of graft.

While poverty fell in Indonesia between September 2012 and March 2013, it rose in Banten, and was especially high for a region so close to the capital.

Eko Endang Koswara, the head of the provincial education office, was arrested for corruption in 2010, and the education chief in Pandeglang district was detained for alleged corruption last year.

Still, problems in Indonesia's education system extend far beyond Banten. In the most recent Program for International Student Assessment rankings from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which looked at student aptitude in 65 countries, Indonesia placed 64th, ahead of only Peru. In the Britain-based Pearson rankings, which looked at 40 countries in 2013, Indonesia came in dead last.

As it is, there is a real need to reform not only the education system but also the bureaucracy governing it in order to ensure that system is free from corruption.

"In the southern regions of Banten, such as Lebak and Pandeglang, the availability of teachers and decent school buildings is a problem," ICW's Ade says.

"If you look at the corruption pattern in Banten, there are a few layers," he explained in an earlier interview. "The first layer involves teachers. Here, teachers place illegal fees on school children. The excuses may include book purchases or exam fees."

"The second layer involves school principals. Here, the school operational fund [BOS] might be embezzled. It is not seldom that school budget funds are embezzled by the school principal. The third layer involves government officials at the education agency."

"The fourth layer involves high-level government officials. Funds related to school infrastructure and teaching facilities have been stolen. The primary consequence of that is that it lowers the accessibility of education to the public, especially to the poor. It makes it hard to be well-educated if you are born [in Banten]."

Although corruption can be found at nearly every link in the chain between the regional administration and its constituents, Ade says that corruption at the top causes the most harm.

"If the district leaders are clean and not corrupt, chances are the school principals and the rest will not be corrupt as well," he says. "Government officials are often hard-pressed to embezzle money for their bosses above them. Their jobs and positions are at stake should they fail to fulfill their bosses' corrupt demands."

"If you look closely at the regional elections, you might find that the money meant for education purposes is being spent for political purposes," Ade says.

[This article is part of a special coverage on Indonesia's presidential election.]

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/concrete-plan-needed-improve-indonesias-education-system/