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“Higher education is tertiary education, so it is not compulsory learning.” Up to this point, the words of Secretary of the Directorate-General of Higher Education, Research and Technology Tjitjik Sri Tjahjandarie can be understood. But her statement became a problem when she continued by saying, “Not every high school or vocational school graduate has to go on to higher education. It is optional.”
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She was speaking in the context of the high university tuition fees. And in this context, Tjitjik wanted to say that there was no need for poor people to go to university because they cannot afford the tuition fees. But even liberal minded people, who believe that the state should not interfere in people’s private affairs, rarely use this kind of language when talking about education.
Tertiary education is a UNESCO term for a particular type of education. There is primary education, which refers to elementary school, secondary education for high schools and tertiary education for universities. This grouping differentiates education levels. Tertiary in this case has a neutral meaning, as a classification for the third level of education.
Tjitjik gave a biased interpretation when she said that tertiary means a choice, especially since it was made in the context of widespread protests over increasingly high tuition fees at state universities. And there was the statement from Education Minister Nadiem Makarim that high tuition fees are a realization of fairness: rich students subsidize poor students.
It seems that these two officials need to look again at the reasons why this nation was founded, and ask themselves why the founding fathers drew up the 1945 Constitution as a basis for our statehood. The Constitution states that the nation is obliged to provide decent education for the people, from primary education to secondary and tertiary. Therefore, there are large subsidies to support this.
Education is a long-term investment to bring about progress. In the early days of independence, even Bung Karno, Indonesia’s first president, gave lessons in how to read and write because with these abilities, people will be able to see problems and seek solutions to the problems of daily life. Therefore, if those running the nation now are reluctant to provide subsidies for education and suggest that people subsidize each other’s education, there is something wrong with their way of thinking.
Even in capitalist European nations, universities do not set tuition fees arbitrarily. There, governments see education as an investment. They use tax revenues to subsidize education so that the costs of primary, secondary, and tertiary education are affordable for all. The same holds true in the United States, which is considered a reference for education policy in Indonesia.
In the United States, universities are like corporations, and have businesses so that they can manage education independently. In the top universities such as Harvard, the alma mater of the Education Minister, there are only two groups of students: if they are not smart, they come from rich families. But even in the United States, education is still intended for everyone. The government provides education loans so that all students can receive higher education. The administration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris has even written off US$ 146 billion of student debt.
In this edition, we discuss the story behind high tuition fees. Why has the government washed its hands and ignored the constitutional obligation to fund education that is the right of everyone? What is the root cause of the problem that has led to the cost of state universities being higher than private universities in the past? Enjoy the magazine.
Bagja Hidayat
Deputy Chief Editor
Cover Story
High Tuition Fees at State Universities
Minister of Education Nadiem Makarim allegedly approved the recent increase in university tuition fees. It is considered to be an effort to commercialize education.
Students Withdrawing from State Universities due to High Tuition Fees
Prospective university students are backing away because they are unable to pay tuition fees. Some tuition reductions fail to make much of a difference.
Scholarship from the Government Used for Electoral Interests
Education Commission members at the House of Representatives get quotas for distributing the Indonesia Smart Card. There are suspicions that it misses its target.
Economy
Slow Import Permit Issuance Leads to Garlic Price Hikes
The slow issuance of import permits is causing the price of garlic to skyrocket. The government is retaining the RIPH requirements for garlic imports.
Law
The Cheap Sale of Jiwasraya’s Confiscated Assets
The auction value of the seized assets from the corruption case of Asuransi Jiwasraya is allegedly below the market price. It is linked to an ex-convict in a bribery case.
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