Third Debate to Focus on Human Resource Development

KOMPAS/AGNES THEODORA

Vice presidential candidate Ma\'ruf Amin takes part in the Tabligh Akbar Quran recitation event in Gunung Tua, North Padang Lawas, West Sumatra, on Sunday (10/3/2019).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The third round of the presidential debates, scheduled for Sunday (3/17/2019), is expected to reveal whether human resource development is a key concern among the candidates. Populist policies alone will not resolve the existing problems.

Only the vice presidential candidates will participate in the third debate round on education, health, labor and sociocultural issues. Effective programs in these sectors will determine the development of capable and competitive human resources.

However, based on the candidates’ vision and mission statements, neither specifically targets the fundamental issues in these sectors. Both camps are equally relying on populist policies to seek electoral gains.

Fun School Movement founder Muhammad Nur Rizal said the education programs of the two candidate pairs focused merely on secondary issues. Current problems in the national education system were rooted in goals that were exclusively oriented towards standardization and academic achievement, even though standardization was mere measurements that must be used to develop education more substantially.

“Education must not be viewed as [a factory that produces labor]. Rather, it is a medium to foster an ecosystem of free thought, creativity, collaboration and tolerance,” Nur said in Jakarta on Thursday (3/14/2019), adding that human capabilities could never be replaced by technology, even in Industry 4.0.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Vice presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno campaigns in front of his supporters on Mojoagung Square, Jombang regency, Monday (22/10/2018). Sandiaga Uno promised to improve the economy, provide employment and develop technology in the country.

Policy evaluation

Executive director Indra Charismiadji of the Center for Education Policy and Development Studies (Cerdas) also criticized the two candidate pairs for not reviewing education policies in their campaigns. “Joko Widodo and Ma’ruf Amin have proposed the Indonesian Smart Card (KIP) for Universities and Pre-Employment Card. Meanwhile, Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno promised to promote all informal teachers as permanent civil servants. All this is merely to increase their electability, not to analyze the issues and find fundamental solutions,” he said.

Jokowi-Ma’ruf campaign deputy chair Eriko Sotarduga said that Ma’ruf would talk about the KIP Universities and Pre-Employment cards at Sunday’s debate. Eriko said that the two programs would improve vocational education through training and certification that would develop employable labor.

Prabowo-Sandiaga campaign spokesman Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said that Sandiaga would focus on health and labor. “Sandiaga will also offer an education model with a moral orientation and to adjust the [national] curriculum so that moral and values will be the main orientation,” he said.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (second left) stands next to his running mate in the upcoming presidential election, vice-presidential candidate Ma\'ruf Amin (left), as they share a light moment with their challengers – presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto (third left) and vice-presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno – before making a declaration for a peaceful election campaign at the National Monument Square in Jakarta on Sept. 23, 2018.

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University professor Azyumardi Azra said that the candidates’ vision and mission statements on religious and cultural issues were "normative”, and that their explanations and implementation remained unclear. He said that both candidates had merely presented a wish list, not “to do” and “how to” lists.

(DNE/ABK/PDS/TAN/BAY/SAN/AGE)