Professor Toshiko Kinosita argued that human resources in Indonesia is still very weak to support the development of industry and economy. The reason for the government so far have placed education as the most important priority. Not placed education as the most important priority for the Indonesian people, ranging from the layman to politicians and government officials, only oriented to the pursuit of money to enrich themselves and never thinking long (Kompas, May 24, 2002).
Opinions Professor of Waseda University Japan is very interesting to study given the current Indonesian government began to look at education as a long term investment, after this long neglected education. One indicator is already approved by the Assembly to prioritize the educational budget of at least 20% of the state budget or the budget. This step is an early awareness of the importance of education as an investment pangjang term. At least there are three reasons for prioritizing education as a long term investment.
First, education is a tool for economic development and not just economic growth. In the praxis of modern education management, one of the five functions of education is the technical-economic function of both the individual level to global level. Technical-economical function refers to the contribution of education to economic development. For example, education can help students to gain knowledge and skills necessary to live and compete in a competitive economy.
In general, proved that the more educated a person the better the level of income. This is possible because educated people are more productive when compared with the uneducated. One's productivity is due to its technical skills gained from education. Therefore one of the goals to be achieved by education is to develop life skills. This is exactly the direction of competency-based curriculum, life skill education and broad based education that was developed in Indonesia in recent years. In the United States (1992) doctoral-educated person on average earnings per year of 55 million dollars, 40 million dollar master, and scholar 33 million dollars. Meanwhile, further education graduates berpanghasilan only an average of 19 million dollars per year. In the same year, this structure also occurred in Indonesia. For example, on average, between rural and urban areas, income per year 3.5 million university graduates, the academy 3 million dollars, 1.9 million high school, and elementary school only 1.1 million rupiah.
The human capital theorists argue that education is an investment in human resources that give monetary benefits or non-monetary. Benefits of non-meneter of education is to obtain better working conditions, job satisfaction, consumption efficiency, satisfaction of enjoying retirement and the benefits of living longer because of the increased nutrition and health. Monetary benefits are economic benefits in the form of additional income a person who has completed a certain educational level compared with incomes below graduate education. (Walter W. McMahon and Terry G. Geske, Financing Education: Overcoming inefficiency and Inequity, USA: University of Illinois, 1982, h.121).
Educated human resources that will be the main capital of national development, particularly for economic development. More and more people are educated the more easy for a country to build a nation. This is due to have mastered the skills, knowledge and technology by its human resources so that the government is easier to mobilize national development.Value
Behind EducationSecond, educational investment provides the return value (rate of return) is higher than on physical investments in other fields. Return value of education is the ratio between the total costs incurred to finance education with total revenue to be earned after one has graduated and entered the world of work. In developing countries generally show the return value of the investment is relatively higher education than on physical capital investment of 20% compared to 15%. Meanwhile in developed countries behind the investment value of education is lower than the physical capital investment is 9% compared to 13%. This situation can be explained that with the number of educated skilled workers and experts in developing countries is relatively limited compared to demand higher wages so that the level and will lead to the return value of education is also high (Ace Suryadi, Education, Human Resources Investment and Development: Issues , Theory and Applications. Balai Pustaka: Jakarta, 1999, h.247).
Educational investment choices should also consider the level of education. In Asia, the social return on average basic education by 27%, 15% secondary education, higher education and 13%. Thus it can be argued that the higher level of education a person gets smaller then the social benefits. It was clear that basic education provides the greatest social benefits among other educational levels. Seeing this reality, the structure of the allocation of education funding must be reformed. In 1995/1996, for example, cost allocation for education from the government of Indonesia Elementary School is the smallest per-student average sekirat only 18,000 rupiah per month, while the cost of education per student at the State University received an allocation of 66,000 rupiah per month. Director General of Higher Education, Satrio Sumantri Brojonegoro once argued that the allocation of state funds for higher education 25 times more than primary education. This suggests that more education costs are allocated to higher education instead of inefficiency because the only benefits the individual and less benefit to society.
Reform of education cost allocation is important given that some studies show that the majority of the education at state universities is derived from the community can afford. So in addition to education financing model is based on education level (basic vs. high) is also based on students' economic strength (rich vs. poor). This means that students at state universities who come from wealthy families have to charge a more expensive education than those from poor families. Models are offered in accordance with kritetia equity in education funding as outlined Unesco.
That is why Professor Kinosita suggest that the necessary basic education in Indonesia is a sophisticated and not education. The process of education in basic education setidaknnya rests on four pillars namely learning to know, learning to do, leraning to be and learning to live together can be achieved through the eight basic competencies of reading, writing, listening, menutur, calculate, analyze, memorize and menghayal. National education budget should be prioritized to alleviate basic education of 9 years and if necessary be extended to 12 years. Besides basic education should be "completely" freed from all charges. It says "really" because during this 9-year compulsory education launched by the government is not free. If all children of primary education has served to get an education free of charge, then the education budget allocated to the next level of education.Function
Non EconomicThird, investment in education has many functions in addition to the technical-economic function is the function of social-humanitarian, political functions, cultural functions, and educational functions. Socio-humanitarian function refers to the contribution of education to human development and social relations in a variety of different social levels. For example at the individual level of education helps students to develop themselves psychologically, socially, physically and help students develop their potential as fully as possible (Yin Cheong Cheng, School Effectiveness and School-Based Management: A Mechanism for Development, Washington DC: The Palmer Press, 1996, p.7).
Political function refers to the contribution of education to political developments in different social levels. For example at the individual level, education helps students to develop attitudes and positive citizenship skills to train citizens the right and responsible. People who are educated are expected to better understand their rights and obligations so that insight and his behavior increasingly demoktratis. In addition educated people are expected to have the awareness and responsibility towards the nation and the country better than the less educated.
The function of culture refers to the contribution of education on the transition and cultural development in different social levels. At the individual level, education helps students to develop their creativity, aesthetic awareness and to socialize with the norms, values and good social beliefs. People who are educated are expected to be better able to appreciate or respect for difference and plurality of cultures that have a more open attitude towards cultural diversity. Thus more and more educated people are expected to be easier the next occurrence of acculturation will be national or regional cultural integration.
The function of education refers to education contributions to the development and maintenance of education at different social levels. At the individual level of education helps students learn how to learn and help teachers how to teach. Educated people are expected to have awareness for lifelong learning (life long learning), always feel left out of information, science and technology that continues to be encouraged to go forward and keep learning.
Among the general public also apply the general opinion that the more educated the better one's social status and respect communities of people who were better educated than the less educated. People who are educated are expected to use his thoughts oriented on long-term interests. People who are educated are expected to have no inclination orientation of the material / money especially to enrich themselves.
ConclusionIt is clear that investment in education is not merely to boost economic growth but more broadly the economic development. During the new order we are always proud of the high economic growth, but high economic growth was devastated because it is not supported by the existence of educated human resources. New Order gave birth to many rich people who do not have the honesty and fairness, but many more gave birth to the poor. Finally, the economic growth enjoyed by most people and with a very large degree of dependence.
Economic development will be achieved when human resources have an ethical, moral, sense of responsibility, sense of fairness, honesty, and realize the rights and obligations all of which are indicators of good educational outcomes. It is time for this country to reflect on how to plan a good education system to support economic development. Besides education also as a means of unifying a nation that is currently being threatened with disintegration. Through the functions of education on the socio-humanitarian functions, political functions, cultural functions, and educational functions of the country can be put back together. From the above it appears that education is a vehicle that is very important and strategic for economic development and national integration. In short education is a long-term investment that should be the top choice.
If so, which way the education of this country should be taken? How to plan a good education system? Let us think together.
