"To win the competition in the current era, we need superior human resources formed through a national education system which (can be accessed by) as many people as possible," deputy chairman of the MPR, Lestari Moerdijat, said in a written statement received here on Tuesday.
She delivered the statement in response to the ongoing revision of the National Education System Law, which has been at the center of much controversy, including over the elimination of the term ""madrasah"" (Islamic school) in the bill.
Moreover, the Alliance of National Education Organizers (APPI) said following a meeting with President Joko Widodo at Merdeka Palace on Monday that the President was not aware of the process off revising the National Education System Law.
Moerdijat opined that inputs and attention from everyone should be seen as a sign of people’s expectation of the National Education System Bill and their enthusiasm to improve the current education system.
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She said she expected the government to address public expectations by ensuring a transparent drafting process and taking as many inputs as possible from the community.
"Moreover, the government has the obligation to evenly (offer) education in this country, in accordance with the ideals of the state, as mandated by the Constitution, that is, to educate the nation's generation," she said.
The education sector is the main asset that must be developed so that all citizens can face the challenges of the times, she added.
She said she considers proper education as the right of every citizen so the government has the obligation to offer education uniformly to every part of Indonesia through various means.
“Moreover, on one occasion, the National Development Planning Minister, Suharso Monoarfa, cited the 'global competitiveness world economic forum' in 2019 revealed that the competitiveness of Indonesian human resources is still lagging behind and is ranked 50th of 141 countries, still under Malaysia and Thailand," she said.
In view of this, efforts to improve human resource quality must constantly be carried out, including by improving the national education system in order to produce a superior generation that is able to compete and address future challenges, she remarked.
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Translator: Imam B, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
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