Prosperity Without Door

Based on Merril & Capgemini research which published in Hongkong (16/10), Indonesia is a state with third highest growth of the wealth (16,0%) in Asia-Pacific, after Singapore (21,2%) and India (20,5%). Even, growth of the wealth in Indonesia almost twice of global growth which around 8,3%.

On the other hand, The World Bank reports disclosed that almost 45 percent of Indonesia's 220 million people survive on daily expenditures of between US$1 and $2 (The Jakarta Post, 9/12/06). And, based on Central Statistics Agency publicity, about 39 million, or 17.5 percent of the total population live below the poverty line.

After more than 62 years on ‘big push’ development, the portrait of our prosperity discrepancy seems become a disturbing fact.

Consequence from 'the wealth-poor divider’ is quite real. Two species of Homo sapiens which almost differ are visibly expanding. News and visual image in mass media can illustrated this matter quite well, and also can lead us to the fidget ideas about the future.

Will be difficult for us to explain that backward community at Papua, (included people in low settlement at metropolises), and the elite at Jakarta for example, are come from same species.
In the case of wealth, properties, facility, survival prospect, education and health, both are quite different.

This matter can generate an apocalyptical inquiring: may we cover this social gap, at least at vanishing difference in years come?

Nevertheless, its will be more difficult for us to explain the genealogy of this social discrepancy. Maybe its true that poverty caused by social-culture custom regarding to deficiency of ‘the progressive desire'. But, if Professor Muhammad Yunus judgment is right, social-economy system which controlled by the elite therefore also become determinant in lameness of 'the wealth-poor divider’ at present.

For many social thinkers in the entire world, problem at this greedy society is a hole, one deep part that empty; without moral philosophy or a set of kindliness principle which moving it.

On the contrary, the dynamic energy that activates this society is individualism, desire to dominates, and unappeased motivation to control nothing but a money. Each new technology must available at our house, this is 'obsession to take all till exhausted'. Its existential philosophy is 'I go shopping, so I am exists'.

Social Disorder
Behind this acute discrepancy, the potentially problem’s derivation is because it’s visual image which sometimes glamorous other community with scene about prosperity, about greatness and sophisticated, but ironically provide a pittance access for other community to achieve that prosperity.

It’s like make a window that showing (abundant) prosperity, but without 'door' for other community to pass by.

Prosperity which only mirage and merely can be stared at the luxurious presentation in our television, without access and equal opportunity for each citizen to feels it.

Consequences from this 'prosperity without door' are well depicted by Carlos Fuentes (through his novel, Christopher Unborn; Pan Books, 1990) as provocative hatred philosophy.

This ‘philosophy of action' translated by some of society with pillage behavior at the riot act at 1998. An expensive consequence from the exact opposite of two escalation: the excessive wealth increase among a few people, inversely with the poor acceleration which progressively poor.
This broken community, or social disorders, is one of the urban ills which is elusive (Wheeler & Beatley, 2004), and must be reduce as early as possible by all of us.

Moral Philosophy
However, this poverty rate will push us in debate about how to reducing poverty with the highest quality programs.

If we analyze various programs to reducing poverty, MDGs for example, one of the important pillars is international aid. This aid force each developed countries to share prosperity, and more than that, to make a ‘crossing door’ for all sort of other society to pursue their backwardness.

Helping each other, sharing prosperity, and provide a bridge to passed together for more equities life is most valuable moral philosophy in lessening big discrepancy which have been formed during the time. This is become the basis for sophisticated economic program, empowerment and education, and also other unceasing equivalence efforts.

For modern social psychologist, this mutually helping society is healthy and positive, because focused at cooperation strength and human’s positive values to achieve the collective well-being.

According to conviction of Martin Seligman, pioneer of positive psychology, essence from this model is not simply living, but also thriving. Wherein the strength of society emphasized in individual; which their accomplishment, satisfaction and their meaningful of life, interrelated to actualization of their whole self-potencies for the society goodness.

National Final Examination (UN), Damages The Happiness of Learning

'Student assessment have to take place locally, in class, with face to face feed back, and not performed from long distance, assessed mechanically, and returned with some score, suggestion or rectification about what must be done’

-Howard Gardner, Professor of Education at Harvard University, United States of America-

Formerly, before graduated standard at junior and senior high school specified in certain passing grade, there is never emerge an objections as much as this time. Several objections judge that national exam is only government project, which have potencies to harm many sides, including student itself.

Their objections consist of various reasons. Its start at neglecting of student basic rights, provide unjust reality because students hard work in learning -during three years- must be vanished in short 120 minute of national exam, up to a debatable passing grade which convinced not yet conform to the quality of our education process, particularly at under-develop regions with minimum facility.

For many students, it seems fun if there is no passing grade for graduate exam. More than anything else, if there is no exam at all.

Then, publics surely want to know, why government constantly insists to execute national exam every year? Isn't it true that, in Indonesia, to step into higher level education, student must through another entrance exam again?

To answer this matter, we will definitely involve in continuous debate with different way of approach.

According to the philosophy of education that prevailing in our society for many years, most important purpose of school exam is to know, or to measure how far the efficacy rate of learning process. Teacher, parents, government, higher level education institution, and even company which we will work later, needs to know how much knowledge advance occurs through certain exam.

Examination also can assist student to learn more diligent. Including to providing a feedback about how well student comprehend the lesson items.
Thereby, examination, especially which interrelated with international standard and have purpose to convert our knowledge advance in the form of score, usually connected to many broader interests.

But, based on the recent approach -like humanistic view, or from accelerated learning movement- examination will have a quite different meaning.

Examination is just one small component. It’s not a decisive factor for all education process. The important thing is how we take an appropriate response to the result of the examination. If its result less satisfying, what can be done by student -assisted with teacher- to improve the learning process, and to obtain better score in future. Not destroying the happiness of learning by telling 'You Failed', and become a permanent mark that will remembered by the student for their lifetime.

Therefore, as points out by Professor Gardner above, assessment system need to be directly integrated into everyday school activities, not merely execute at the end of school year. And our education quality is not determined by national final exam alone, but from how far student can learn with their optimal capacities.

However, the existence of final examination will constantly become dilemma. Even, at nations with established education system which far better than us. Myron Tribus, one of education consultant at USA, asserted that unceasing of efforts to eliminate system assessment in education with score minded -also currently in effect at industrial field- requiring time through years.

In Indonesia, there is huge possibility that this dilemma will increase sharply. In accordance with quality of our teaching-learning process which still worrying, and in the middle of global demand for determined our education quality’s position through this quite competitive world.
In the end, there is one resolution which we must always believe in; that, the first aspect to improve is learning qualities in school.

Examination really needs to simply to mapping the result of learning. And through this map, we can develop a sustainable improvement in all regions at our country, both for student and also for our education system.

Improvement for our learning quality related to overall education system -hardware, software, and brain ware. Such best teachers which guiding student, inviting student to learn how 'the way of learning' far better, creating learning environment without stress and fear from failure, and also realize an adequate infrastructure.

The highest education quality with enjoyable atmosphere will motivated student enthusiasm and trigger their 'addictive' to learn. Herewith, high standard of passing grade will follow by itself.

(Indonesia eds 'Menyoal Evaluasi Pendidikan Kita' also published at local newspaper, Galamedia, 01 November 2006)