benlaksana:

The Jakarta Globe, September 3, 2011

By Ben K. C. Laksana

Recently I attended a lecture by Anies Baswedan, a scholar behind the Indonesia Mengajar foundation that sends young prominent Indonesians to the very ends of the country to become volunteer teachers. During Anies’s presentation on the importance of education for the future of Indonesia, there was one point that struck me the most. 

While comparing the current business climate between China and the United States he pointed out one simple fact that we all seem to disregard: things that were “made in China” are usually designed in America. 

Indonesians understand that we are lagging behind in human resources. It is fearful of the manufacturing prowess of great countries like China and the intellectual growth of India. That is why Indonesia is pushing forward in science and technology — because it sees that this is where the future lies. 

By embracing these fields, Indonesia can begin to catch up with the rest of the world. This is reflected in how our educational system tries to educate our young individuals. Yet sadly, because of this pragmatic and simplistic view of Indonesia’s future, we have a rather oppressive education system that has forgotten something essential: the need for passion and creativity. 

If we take a look at our educational system, we can see that there is a hierarchy of school subjects. We have science, mathematics and similar subjects on the top and then we have humanities in the middle and at the very bottom we have the arts. 

Why? Why is there such a prejudiced hierarchy in our school subjects? Why does one subject have a higher value than the other? Why did many of my friends have those piercing what-on-earth-are-you-thinking looks when I said that I wanted to enter the social sciences track (IPS) instead of the science track (IPA) back in high school, even though my grades were adequate enough for IPA? 

This unpleasant personal experience way back when I was still a juvenile delinquent helped me come to the saddening conclusion that students are highly honored when they enter the science track, often looked down upon when they enter the social sciences and students who enter the language (bahasa) track are just seen as useless. If there is a “lower class” than bahasa, I can only imagine what people would say about people who choose to study it. 

This discriminatory way of thinking has stigmatized school subjects that are, in my view, equal in importance. In turn, this has stigmatized individuals who want to delve further in subjects such as art, poetry or history. Stigmatizing subjects causes many individuals who are not interested in science, mathematics, technology or the like to lose some of their learning spirit. 

When our children have no desire whatsoever to study and go to school, they can easily dive into drugs and other destructive or fruitless activities. 

I’ve seen many of my friends become demoralized by this educational bigotry and go down this preventable path. I am sure that some of you reading this have also felt and witnessed the same thing, too. Our talents are being limited, our passions are being doubted and our lives are being directed. In a sense, people who have gone to school have fairly limited and sometimes no control whatsoever over their futures. 

It appears our society and our education system are suffering from collective amnesia or a pure lack of common sense. They show a minimal understanding of the fact that an array of diverse talents — not just a few major ones — is necessary for our country to function. We can’t all be doctors or architects or scientists. As a diverse group of people, our passions are also diverse. Schools should celebrate and foster these differences. 

Those doctors, architects and engineers are highly prized in Indonesia, but our society has had a hard time understanding someone who wants to become a sculptor, a painter or even a photographer. Why do so many of us place a high value on music, art and other types of creative expression but have such a hard time encouraging young people to become artists? 

We have been so propagandized about this hierarchy in our educational system that we can’t see these young artists as having a successful future. It is obvious that our society and educational system are trying to define the future of our society. It is trying to define what we should be and what success means for us. 

They have overlooked the fact that by limiting individuals’ ability to pursue their passions, they are limiting their creativity as well. The best ideas can only arise when we are passionate about the things we are working on. Only when our inner drive and spirit are sparked do we become truly creative. 

When we talk of creative education, it is not merely about education. It is about preparing our young people for a future economy in a globalized world that needs minds that are not only bright and intellectual but innovative as well. 

Indonesia’s society and education system must reshape their perception of education. We must alter our mind-set about this nonsensical imaginary hierarchy, acknowledge the fact that this society we all live in needs more than just doctors and architects. Creativity is essential for our future economy. We must not become like China, a country known for its abundance of world-class copiers and dearth of designers. 

No, Indonesia must produce the creative leaders of industry. We must send passionate and creative individuals out into the world to work at jobs they love and to see every day as a chance to build something new. 

Let the markets be flooded with products that say, “Made in China. Designed in Indonesia.”