’Sekolah Pembangunan’: an Indonesian Experiment

Abstract

'Sekolah Pembangunan' (literally 'development school') is the name of an Indonesian reform project resembling in content the American comprehensive school. The new educational model is closely connected with the country's development plans and is expected, through integrated educational and economic planning, to be one of the preconditions for the economic and technical progress the country is striving after. Under Sukarno economic development took second place to the political and ideological interests of the government, with the result that Indonesia remained a purely agrarian state. Even today approximately 70% of the gross national product stems from agriculture while industrialization is still in its very earliest stages [1]. Correspondingly, the average per capita income stands at less than US $100 a year. Indonesia is therefore one of the poorest developing countries in Asia. It follows that the means available to the government from its own resources for the extension and modernization of the education system are extremely limited. Since 1965, the beginning of the Suharto regime, Indonesia has been intensively seeking a systematic development of its potential. One of the most important instruments available to the government was the middle-term economic planning represented by the first five-year plan. According to this, agriculture and all associated branches of industry should be fostered first, followed in second place by light and small industry, mining, infrastructure and tourism [2]. If we compare this economic development programme with the educational goals of the first five-year plan a clear relationship is apparent between the level of education sought after and socio-economic development. To quote from the chapter 'Education and Manpower': Education must be closely linked with the need as well as possibilities of economic and social development so that it can equip pupils for their life, and fulfill community [3]. In respect of the primary (agriculture) and secondary areas of development (small industry, etc.) it further says that the educational programme must be tailored to these priorities and aim in the first place to meet the manpower needs of the sectors referred to [4]. Thus Indonesia officially declares its adherence to the so-called 'manpower approach' and embarks on a new educational policy in comparison to the previous more academically orientated approach. The putting into practice of these reforming ideas will now take place experimentally in the newly created 'Sekolah Pembangunan'. As an introduction to the problems of the Indonesian education system this study first examines the present system, there then follows an expos6 of the theoretical basis of the 'Sekolah Pembangunan' reform and a critical review of the new model in relation to a possibly necessary conversion of the whole Indonesian education system.