Political Business of Education in Indonesia

The title above, this represents my subjective view of the process of national education system graduasi Indonesia. If education in the colonial era and aims to build on the Indonesian people freed from colonialism, then today it has moved education into a business product. This is reflected in the base history of colonization that began in colonial times Portuguese, Dutch to Japanese.

Under the Education System of colonization

Political education in those days, of course depart from the interests of the ruler. The extent to which the needs and interests of the authorities, so far mainset also dipraktekken education system. Education is reduced to an effective tool to perpetuate the occupation of thousands, even millions of people of Indonesia. Education in those days, was made in stages. Discrimination occurs in the open. Education does not apply to all circles and is only based on the degree of class. Education for Dutch children take precedence and be made more secure and special. While for indigenous children, in addition to very limited, also has a quality that is much lower and improvise. When referring to the situation of patron relationship between colonial and indigenous, the Dutch education policy is more directed to qualified tesedianya's ability to meet the knowledge of cheap labor for the colonial rulers.

It is, not without reason. In 1830 when the colonial government was nearly bankrupt after the war involved the largest Java (Java War, 1825-1830), Governor-General Van den Bosch received special permission implement the Cultivation systems (Cultuur stelsel) with the primary purpose of government cash to fill the empty colonies, or closing the colonial government's budget deficit. Penyelematan mission to support the colonial government of the crisis, the educational patterns of the indigenous population is also implemented, especially in the field of suitable planting into export commodity at the time. This is to support the forced labor system.

Still applies unequal educational rights, in which only the native population of the gentleman just given the right to education by the Dutch. This meant that people who are likely to still submissive and obedient to the gentleman, can easily be mobilized by the Dutch colonial government through the foot of the hands of the gentleman. Even to facilitate forced labor program, the colonial government forced the Dutch language interaction to facilitate communication. Naturally, if we see how the leaders and the Indonesian freedom fighters, quite proficient in using the Dutch language.

Period of emergence of alternative education

While colonization increasingly revealing the original form of cruel, sense of common fate of the Indonesian people-even arise. Turbulent resistance everywhere, although initially only be done in private and limited to the intelligentsia. Initiative to develop and educate the younger generation, too, began to be done through the people's schools. With limited facilities and makeshift educators, the education process is going on with the release only with the spirit of the Indonesian nation from colonialism.

One of the national character of independence fighters who dedicate themselves to building the people's schools are Tan Malaka. After joining the Syarikat Islam (SI) Semarang, Tan Malaka and then initiate the formation popular school for the children of the SI and the People of the kromo or other poor. The school was then known as "SI Schools", with a 3 (three) principles and main objectives, namely: First, Providing sufficient weapons, the search for livelihood in a capitalist world (arithmetic, writing, geography, Dutch, Javanese, Malays , etc.). Second, Giving students their rights, namely life preferences, with the road association (verenniging). And Third, Showing obligations later, to the millions of People Kromo.

In essence, what is done by Tan Malaka is a form of love for the Indonesian People. Tan Malaka, Indonesia with young people, organizing political courses amid the threat of colonial repression, which is dedicated to educating and developing young mind, especially mebangun organizing skills, journalism, leading the masses, and of course encourage the spirit of resistance against foreign occupation against the indigenous , Indonesia.

However, the contribution of the schools existence dizaman colonial people, the struggle has provided hope for the people of Indonesia. It is worth to be reduced by the movement of young people today. Amid the waves of the education system is so strong to serve the market, alternative education for the people is required. Discussion groups, study clubs, schools roads, etc. are alternative options that we have built together.

Politics of Neo-Liberal Education is the sama with National Business

Government Regulation (PP) No. 17 Year 2010 on Management and Operation of Education mentioned, education units, ranging from early childhood education to higher education, made possible the cooperation between the education unit in the country with foreign educational unit. In this case, regulation is an extension of efforts to legitimize the presence of investors in the national education system. This is a follow-up government efforts since the adoption of the National Education Law, Law BHP until the birth of PP No. 17 year 2010 was. This only reinforced our view, that the spirit of national education today, is the spirit of business. Spirit to make the output of education as something like a commodity that anyone bought or sold.

Fasli Jalal, Deputy Minister of National Education, said that, Indonesia ratified the world trade organization agreement that one of them opened the cooperation in the field of education. "But, so far, foreign investors who can provide education in Indonesia is still limited. What could be new to polytechnic education," said Fasli. However, in principle, what is said by Fasli Jalal, no more than an attempt to circumvent the people's resistance against government regulation that has been mortgaged real growing our national education to foreign parties. After all, it only matters of time. Sooner or later, the national education system will be a soft field for investors, and of course the opposite would be a sad lament for the young generation of Indonesia.

Stanley Fish, professor of Florida International University, with Henry Giroux mengutipkan opinion in the "Academic Unfreedom in America" which was published Works and Days, states that, "Universities have been narrated himself in a more instrumental limits, commercial and practical. This new narrative emerged after the state could no longer pay for higher education institutions belong to the State ". On the contrary, the education system has let loose just to fight the competitive market at will. This means that our education in all levels of income are forced to scrounge any way, although they had to pawn susbtansi education itself, the nation's intellectual life.

Faced with this situation, the universities responded by (1) raise the cost of education, so that students are now changing the subject of education becomes nothing more than ordinary consumer economy. (2) foster partnerships in research with industry, but it destroyed the noble goals of education for the university to be merely chasing profits. (3) reproduce the energy contract, but this just makes no capacity of teachers to encourage students to realize civil democracy because students are required to pursue only the economic value of education. In short, universities have embraced neoliberalism.

From the above description, it is increasingly clear, that our national education policy today, is a large agenda of neo-liberalism in Indonesia. True education will be directed only to meet the market needs only, which means no change that made a business asset for the Government is ready sold. The purpose of education has actually deprived of basic philosophy as a tool to educate the nation and build an independent human being.