Adequate education is an important tool for reaping the benefits of the demographic bonus so that the large number of young people will not instead become a demographic disaster.
By
SIWI NUGRAHENI
·5 minutes read
SALOMO TOBING
Siwi Nugraheni
A few weeks ago, I met a rural micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) activist. He talked about the difficulties of the children in villages in continuing their education to junior high and high school or equivalent levels. There is a private secondary school, but the fee is quite expensive. To make a long story short, children's access to secondary schools in villages is often hampered by costs.
I heard and witnessed a decade ago in two different places stories about the difficulties of village children in continuing their studies to secondary education. In 2002, in a province outside Java, I met young women, aged under 20. The young women in the village usually get married after elementary school. They do not have the opportunity to continue their education. The nearest junior high school is 40 kilometers away, so if they want to continue their education, they have to live separately from their parents, which means additional costs to live independently.
In 2010, our housemaid, who comes from a regency in West Java, had a similar story. The nearest junior high school from her house had to be reached by taking an ojek (motorcycle taxi), which costs Rp 10,000 one way. If she continued her education, she would have to pay a transportation fee of Rp 480,000 every month. It was a large amount for her parents who worked as farmers.
Compulsory education
Development is the process of utilizing various kinds of capital to achieve a better life. In general, there are five types of capital: natural (environmental), physical (including infrastructure), social, financial and no less important is human capital.
Besides health, education is an important aspect to improve the quality of human resources. Since 2009, the government has launched the nine-year compulsory education program and in 2015 it was increased to 12 years. Indonesian children, including those living in rural areas, are required to attend school up to high school/equivalent level with facilities and fees provided by the government. In its implementation, elementary and junior high school education (SD and SMP) is the authority and responsibility of the city/regency government, while high school education (SMA) and its equivalent is under the management of the provincial government.
One indicator of success of the compulsory education program is the school enrollment rate (APS), which is the proportion of the population in a certain age group who are still in school to the population in that age group. The data shows that there is an APS gap between urban and rural areas. The higher the level of education, the wider the gap.
The results of the National Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas) from the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in March 2022 showed that the APS for SD/equivalent in urban and rural areas was at 99.33 and 98.8. In the same year, the APS for SMP/equivalent in urban and rural areas were at 96.88 and 94.66 and the APS for SMA/equivalent in urban and rural areas were at 75.96 and 69.43.
There are still more than 5 percent of children aged 13 to 15 and 30 percent of children aged 16 to 18 in rural areas who do not attend school. This is the government's responsibility in implementing the 12-year compulsory education program.
Cooperation
If we agree that education is a way to improve welfare, all efforts must be made to provide free education at the elementary to high school/equivalent levels, as mandated by the 12-year compulsory education program.
Specifically for rural areas, secondary schools must also be able to produce ready-to-work graduates in accordance with the characteristics and needs of each region, so that in the future the alumni can contribute their energy and thoughts for the development of their village towards a village that is self-sufficient in a sustainable manner.
Providing access to education for school-age residents in rural areas is not only about building physical schools in rural areas, but also providing teachers and other facilities and infrastructure. The last point is quite necessary if it is related to the type of vocational school that is adapted to the characteristics of the local rural area.
The two-year pandemic provided an experience that learning can be done remotely. Even though not all materials can be taught online, at least there are opportunities for more flexible ways of learning. Exploring all possible ways of learning, the mix between online and face-to-face learning (PTM), will perhaps facilitate the teaching and learning process, even in vocational high schools.
One of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's promises during his second term was to focus on human resource development. In rural areas, this promise can be fulfilled, among other things, by implementing the 12-year compulsory education program through the provision of public high schools which can be accessed free of charge. In implementing it, it does not only require collaboration between ministries and government agencies, but also between the central and regional governments.
In 2030-2035, Indonesia is expected to reach the peak of the demographic bonus. This momentum can be achieved if the productive age population is qualified. Adequate education is an important tool for reaping the benefits of the demographic bonus so that the large number of young people will not instead become a demographic disaster.
SIWI NUGRAHENI, Lecturer at the School of Economics at Parahyangan Catholic University
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
