Jakarta - Education experts said the higher the education someone achieved, the lower the level of entrepreneurship and independent spirit.
"This is a result of education system that emphasizes only on academic achievement but put less emphasize on human development," managing director of High/Scope Indonesia Antarina Amir said Wednesday.
Speaking at the discussion on education held by The Jakarta Post, Antarina said that in general there were two approaches in any education system: a system that emphasizes on academic achievement only, which popularly known as "drill and kill approach", and a system that emphasizes on human development or "student-centered approach."
The drill and kill approach was more deductive, didactic and prescriptive in its pedagogy system with an emphasis on increased academic achievement or higher test scores.
This approach creates technically proficient professionals and skilled workers.
Meanwhile the student centered-approach was more inductive, investigative and inquiry oriented giving way to inventors, creative designers in science, art and technology as well as innovative leaders and entrepreneurs.
The Gadjah Mada University (UGM) rector, Sudjarwadi, told participants that there was a kind of feudalism regarding scholastic degrees.
"There are many people thinking that once they earn a university degree they should get white-collar jobs instead of starting their own businesses," he said.
Citing data from the national education ministry, he said that there were some unemployed 800,000 university graduates.
"UGM has in the past three years organize programs to foster entrepreneurship spirit among students," said Sudjarwadi.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (14 Februari 2008)
