Autonomy Deficit and Educational Etatism
Likewise, an educational policy dilemma has often arisen, namely the tug of war between central and regional government interests.
The uproar in the educational public space is indicated in the formulation of the Bill on the System of National Education (RUU Sisdiknas) currently underway. Many factors have caused the clamor in the conception of RUU Sisdiknas, especially the lack of openness or transparency, the presence of a tug of war of interests and the minimum participation of the public in an extensive, inclusive, open and significant manner.
Likewise, an educational policy dilemma has often arisen, namely the tug of war between central and regional government interests. In fact, in the implementation of public administration, Indonesia follows the principle of autonomy to the greatest possible extent. The constitution has regulated how autonomy is to be carried out. Article 18 Paragraph (5) of the Constitution of 1945 clearly stipulates that regional administrations shall execute autonomy to the maximum extent, except for public affairs that are specified by law as pertaining to the central government.
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Education constitutes a sphere put under autonomy. In the domain of the Regional Administration (Pemda) Law, education is an affair of concurrent administrations that is mandatory and related to basic public service. Education constitutes a public affair to be shared by the central government, provincial and regency/city administrations.
School-based management is the implementation of educational autonomy in each unit of education.
Beyond mere regional educational autonomy, Article 51 Paragraph (1) of Law No.20/2003 on Sisdiknas applies the concept of school autonomy, which is autonomy with school-based management. School-based management is the implementation of educational autonomy in each unit of education. It is further narrated that educational autonomy also guarantees school autonomy and teacher autonomy. The Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry labels this educational autonomy as the concept of merdeka belajar (independent learning) although at the policy and realization level it is not yet fully in conformity with the spirit of educational autonomy.
Educational autonomy deficit
In essence, educational autonomy aims at realizing education that is inclusive, pro-public and covers all segments of society including marginal groups. Educational autonomy strives to achieve equity in educational quality in the various regions of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
Educational autonomy also functions as a means of exercising educational sovereignty and optimizing educational resources in regions based on regional potential advantage and diversity. Its final goal boils down to the massive promotion of educational quality and elimination of the stigma of interregional educational disparity.
However, the phenomenon and policy of education has lately been frequently counterproductive toward the spirit of educational autonomy. An example is the policy on the admission of new students, with its various aspects of regulation -- even to the technical level -- being stipulated by the central government. Actually, with reference to the Pemda Law and Sisdiknas Law, the management and implementation of secondary and basic education are under the authority of regional administrations.
This situation is an example of the weakening of educational autonomy as a result of the recentralization of educational affairs, ultimately leading to educational etatism. Today’s legal and educational policies are pivoted on and narrowed down to centralization of educational affairs and authority. Consequently, educational autonomy is threatened and helpless.
Unless properly settled, this condition will create a deficit in educational autonomy. As a matter of fact, it is important to carry on educational autonomy discourses in order to ensure effective and efficient management of education.
Like an engine, education is the locomotive capable of bringing national civilization to achieve a more independent, united, sovereign, impartial and prosperous life.
This educational autonomy deficit can degrade the concept of education itself. Education is basically an important aspect in the advancement of the nation’s civilization. Like an engine, education is the locomotive capable of bringing national civilization to achieve a more independent, united, sovereign, impartial and prosperous life. Therefore, the problematics of the educational autonomy deficit should be promptly resolved so that educational autonomy can be upheld and at the same time bring about a legacy of civilized, advanced and competitive education.
Educational etatism
The educational etatism arises for some reasons. Several factors have caused the appearance of this feature of educational etatism.
First, there is inconsistency in the regulation of the authority over education. Article 50 Paragraph (5) of the Sisdiknas Law stipulates that regency/city administrations shall manage basic and secondary education as well as the educational unit based on local advantage. But the provision has been revoked by the Supplement to the Pemda Law, amending the authority over secondary education management to provincial authority.
This secondary education matter and its authority have become a tug-of-war policy commodity without any attempt to overcome the actual educational problem, even weakening educational policy initiation in regions. Regional administrations are only positioned as operators of the central government’s educational policy.
Article 31 Paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution stipulates that the government shall manage and organize one system of national education, which shall promote spiritual belief, devoutness and noble character in the context of developing the intellectual life of the nation, which shall be regulated by law.
This was later translated in Article 50 Paragraph (1) of the Sisdiknas Law as stipulating that the management of the national education system is the responsibility of the minister. Similarly, Article 50 Paragraph (2) of the Sisdiknas Law provides that the government shall determine the national policy and the national standard of education to guarantee the quality of national education.
In fact, the constitution and the Sisdiknas Law have clearly specified the division of authority over the educational affairs between the central government and regional administrations.
These provisions are interpreted without considering the complete soul and spirit of educational autonomy as regulated in the constitution and the Sisdiknas Law. In fact, the constitution and the Sisdiknas Law have clearly specified the division of authority over the educational affairs between the central government and regional administrations.
Second, the existing norms, standards, procedure and criteria (NSPK) should be revised to provide a clearcut division of authority over education in a detailed, systematic, structured and well-organized fashion. Other than the NSPK, thus far, the division of authority of concurrent administrations over education has been provided in the Supplement to the Pemda Law.
Yet even the Supplement to the Pemda Law does not yet contain detailed and comprehensive provisions on the division of authority over education. As a result, there is no clarity concerning the limits of authority between the central government and regional administration over education.
Third, another factor is the disagreement between documents of educational development plans in the central government (RPJPN, RPJMN) and those in regional administrations (RPJPD, RPJMD). The absence of a master plan, blueprint and roadmap of national education also causes the strengthening of educational recentralization. The various documents of development plans, the master plan or roadmap are actually important to determine policy direction and the division of authority over education between the central government and regional administrations.
The different problems can in fact be settled if the central government and regional administrations understand their respective lines of command. In educational regulation and policy making, the central government essentially should only regulate matters of a general, principle and basic nature, while those of a technical nature can be delegated to regional administrations.
Lastly, it is necessary to reconstruct the Sisdiknas Law in the model of an omnibus capable of solving the problems of disharmony and inconsistence in educational regulations.
The drawing up of an educational roadmap is also important to serve as a compass showing the direction of national education system implementation. The NSPK of education, too, should be immediately revised and updated along with the dynamism of educational autonomy. Lastly, it is necessary to reconstruct the Sisdiknas Law in the model of an omnibus capable of solving the problems of disharmony and inconsistence in educational regulations.
These various efforts are expected to overcome the educational issues in Indonesia based on the principle of the maximum degree of autonomy. Conversely, without properly coping with the issues, just wait for the death knell of educational autonomy and the emergence of etatism of national education.
Cecep Darmawan
Cecep Darmawan, Professor and Chairman of Master and Doctorate Study Program for Civics Education, Indonesia University of Education.
(This article was translated by Aris Prawira)
