Indonesia is not famous for its education, and as we analyze it closer, it’s not hard to identify why. I am certain that most, if not, all students in Indonesia have at least experienced the injustice and unfairness of our education system once.
We are all forced into a curriculum that changed every few years, the standard for each generation differs, but it doesn’t mean the quality improves. They just set a bar for us to jump without evaluating our process and training.
The thing that I find extremely wrong is that we are only judged by whether we attain a certain score or grade in our final exams. We’re never evaluated for our process nor our effort to meet their expectation. The problem is, not everybody is gifted in academics, not everybody is born to be an Einstein, but sadly, that’s the only thing our system cares for now.
These bars that they have set has corrupted students’ mindsets. The demand is to pass, not to be clean. The expectation is to reach a certain number no matter how, because that’s the only thing they’ll put into an account. All these pressure has done anything but good towards students’. At first, we still try our best, but as time goes by, nobody cares anymore. Instead, we find other alternatives, cheating, stealing questions, even to the point of bullying just to meet the expectation of those who don’t appreciate our struggles. Has the world turn upside down? Is grade really more important than honesty?
Schools are supposed to prepare us for the “real world”, but do they really? Our hard work might bring us to the top, but our character is the only thing that will keep us there. Unfortunately for us, a character is exactly what’s lacking in our twisted system. Our system has turned a blind-eye on characters that they have no more value in our society. Our education is supposed to build our characters, not tear them down.
Why can’t we have an education system that will allow us to cherish the best moments in our life, our teenage years? Why can’t we have a system where both academics and character building coexist? Where honesty is more important than just good grades. A system where we’re not only judged based on our final exams, instead of our improvement and development? A system where justice prevails, morality is looked upon and every student is well-appreciated.
I know and I believe that if our education system can start listening to our concerns and evaluate itself, then I can guarantee that Indonesia will have thousands of leaders lined up to conquer this world.
