Since the independence of Indonesia in 1957, education has been a central priority for the government. The new constitution and civil service reforms made early this year mark the first major overhauls of the country’s education system in over a decade. The aim is to improve quality and quantity of education, empower the education sector, and create more jobs and income opportunities for the population. One method of accomplishing this is through the education reform policy.
In January, the Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim announced the launch of the ‘independent campus’ (Kampu Merdeka). This is a policy designed to build independent, flexible and more competent Indonesian universities and colleges by decentralizing education administration. There are currently four elements to this new concept: Establishing several new courses/majors. decentralizing campus administration
The establishment of the Kampus Merdeka provides opportunities for students from rural areas to pursue higher education in Jakarta or other major cities. This will, in turn, increase the number of candidates eligible for state university examinations. The establishment of the Kampus Merdeka will also result in a reduction in the cost of living for rural students who live far from the state capital. This measure is expected to be very popular with the local population which is used to receiving higher quality education and employment. The decentralization of higher education has also been promoted as this will enable students to complete their secondary education in their local language and at their own time. They will have greater choice in choosing their university.
Another initiative of the current government is the establishment of a ‘National Institute for Sustainable Development’. The Indonesian Government is looking to strengthen its foundations by means of sustainable development. For this it is introducing a scheme that will award scholarships to overseas students. The aim of the national institute for sustainable development is to establish a number of special scholarships for students from low income families.
Another initiative of the current Indonesian Government is encouraging more domestic universities to participate in the nationwide Kampus Merdeka. The aim of the scheme is to strengthen the university system by upgrading facilities. A majority of the participating foreign universities are from developing countries like India, China, Malaysia, South Africa and Singapore. The participation of these foreign universities in the nationwide campus merdeka will support the national universities in providing better service.
Indonesia is still lagging behind other countries in terms of the provision of higher education. Although the percentage of students pursuing higher education is increasing it still lags behind other countries. It is believed that the present government has a lot of work to do in improving the condition of the country’s higher education institutions. As a part of this plan it is introducing a number of scholarships for foreign students, which have the potential to boost the performance of Indonesian universities and provide support to the country in developing itself.