GOVT DESIGNS NEW EDUCATION PROGRAM TO REPLACE RSBIs

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 14 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is keen on replacing International-Standard Pilot Schools (RSBIs) with public schools after the Constitutional Court (MK) declared last week that RSBIs are unconstitutional.          "The idea of having international-standard schools in every district and city in the country should not be eliminated. So, we are designing a new academic programme to replace RSBIs with other schools of international standards," said the Minister for Education and Culture, Mohammad Nuh, on Sunday.          Last week, the MK highlighted the 2003 National Education Law, which requires all municipalities and districts in the country to have at least one such school, known as the RSBI.          Mahfud, the court's chief justice, said not only did the requirement go against the Constitution, but there was no sound legal basis for the existence of RSBIs. RSBI students are expected to pay more fees than their peers at regular public schools. The court concluded that the additional fees have "led to the commercialisation of the education sector".            Civil society members, including education experts, non-governmental organisations, parents and the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), had requested the court to review the 2003 National Education Law.           Legislator Rohmani of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission X on education affairs requested the government to abide by the ruling of the court. "The Constitutional Court's ruling is a solution to the public's debates on the existence of RSBIs," he said.          Rohmani said Commission X often questioned the existence of RSBIs. According to the public, RSBIs create a 'caste sect' in the field of education. "RSBIs prevent smart and talented students from poor families from seeking quality education," he noted.          The same support on the abolition of RSBI schools also came from the Indonesian Children Protection Commission (KPAI). "The RSBI programme is unfair to poor students," said the chairman of KPAI, Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh.          He said many talented children cannot enroll in RSBIs because they cannot afford high school fees. "On the other hand, students with average intelligence are able to join these schools because they have money," Asrorun said.          He said laws on child protection and the education system should be regulated so that children who are talented and capable can obtain quality education. "Children who are intelligence and talented are entitled to special education," he said.          So, the government should implement a programme that will not discriminate students based on their financial capacity.          In response to the MK's ruling, the government is coming up with a programme to replace RSBIs with other schools. Minister Mohammad Nuh said his ministry is coming up with a programme, which will be implemented by the end of 2013.          "We hope the new programme will be implemented by the end of 2013," he said.          Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Hajriyanto Y Thohari, said RSBIs should not be eradicated because the country is in need of such schools for talented and smart students.          He said the international education system should continue but the discrimination aspect should be scrapped. "The RSBI education system should continue. What needs to be scrapped is its discriminatory aspect. High fees charged by RSBIs should be scrapped," said Hajriyanto.          Minister Muhammad Nuh said he will work closely with educational offices, the national education board, and related parties in the education sector to design a new programme to replace RSBIs.          He said the determination to create an international educational system in Indonesia should not disappear since it had been mandated in the 1945 Constitution.          The minister said the programme that will replace RSBI is not intended to disrespect the decision of the Constitutional Court.          "We respect the decision of the Constitutional Court, but that does not mean that we 'bury' our ideas of creating schools of international standards," he said.          In the meantime, Prof Suparno, who works at the Malang State University, said the establishment of a new educational institution should not lead to the adoption of a system that erodes the nation's dignity.        "It is important to create an education system that will not undermine the dignity of the nation," Prof Suparno said.          Prof Suparno, who is also a rector at the University of Malang, pointed out that he supports the MK's decision to abolish schools with RSBI labels since they are against the Constitution.          He said it is time to have an education system that also develops students' character. According to him, RSBI schools in the country had only focused on quality education, without emphasising the nation's character.          He said it is important to design educational programmes that will produce intelligent and loyal graduates who will uphold the nation's dignity.          He said it is important to come up with an education system that is on par with the quality of education systems abroad.  "But the system should not undermine the nation's dignity," he added.***4***