Don’t Make Schools as Market

This is one figure of hundreds similar schools in Indonesia. Instead of creating blur policy and conducting "business" and even standardizing the school, the government should have more concerned to this problem.

The current issues regarding the processs of entering new school, many kinds of severe protests coming from the parents of the new students. Those protests are as regards to the expensive tuitions and other costs released by the school. Just imagine, just for regristration, the parents must pay hundreds thousands for junior high school level whereas this is for state schools, that should have been pro-society. It is indeed a high price just for regristation in our society.

This market mecanism is clear seen at current school system, especially during the process of registration for new students. It is assumed that schools are not the best place to study and learn at, but there are just places where professional workers—not teachers—who work under the buearucracy pressure, and the headmasters as the makelar who are profit-oriented at all.

What is happening now next is that school is just black market who hides behind the value of education—and also the education system. If it is so, then how come our generation will become better and educated? Or, might we just be waiting for worse generation—who are money oriented as well—in this corrupt country?

This market mechanism happens during the school year. In the early year, weird habbits like “reserving special places”, prioritizing the rich, bribbery for some students are common and acceptable culture (event hough it is hard for me to name as culture).

The next agenda is the students are the victim of textile market by forcing to buy expensive uniform, shoes, and also other atributes, which the price is higher than normal. That is not finish yet. The next is, the school becomes the market of expensive coursebooks for some publishers or agents who have deal with the school principlas.

Ironically, the coursebook is always changing every year. There are some speculation that there is bonus for such schools which are able to sell the coursebook to the students. The local mayor or education department of course know about this policy. Even, some schools argued that this policy has been legalized by the school committee.

Why do the schools always require the students to buy the expensive coursebooks? The people who know about the students’ need are the teachers themselves. How great when the teachers are eager to say no to their head master to apply the policy on “selling” the expensive coursebooks.

There’re still alternatives for the affordable and qualified coursebook such as Electronic Coursebook (BSE) that belongs to governmnent’s programs. Recent study in my Instruction to Material Development (IMD) shows that BSE have great quality in materials and also the methodology. Don’t the principlas or the local major realize this program? Otherwise, their policies regarding to such kind of requiring students to buy expensive coursebooks from certain publisher should be questioned, and tend to be a corruption hiding behind the legal policy.

During the time also, there are several private course institution offering their service in computer, IQ, sempoa, fast-way to face national examination, etc. Their arrivals should contribute the school to become a market, market for profit-oriented business. Instead of providing facilities for students to expand their knowledge outside school, the coming of the private course justify that the school is trying to run away from the problem.

Moreover, they argue that it is important for their national examination preparation. If that is so, why do the school give the “responsibility” to the private course. Doesn’t it mean that the school give up before going to war, regarding the national examination. If it is not, the school is indeed supporting the growth of liberation in education.

Those unclear programs and tuition cannot be justified. Those are just other burdens for the poor parents of the students—and, contribute to make them poorer.

The justification of such “market movement” in education institution will not improve the quality of our education—and the generation. This rather shape their mindset to become market oriented—profit oriented mindset—that might lead them to justify every way to conduct something to solve problems. In the last, they potentionally become the next corrupt generation in this corrupt country.

Education institution, especially school, should have been free from those kind of silly policies. Those policies make the school no longer become school in which educate the students. Instead, it will create another uneducated and unrespectful generation.

In general, the function of schools, education department, local major, school committee is to educate the students. It is not to become calo, makelar, rentenair, or another illegal business seller. Intertwining those education and market mindset will decrease the value of education, and will demoralize the people.