The high cost of education in Indonesia is a big concern for the lower class

Education expenses are so expensive compared to other ASEAN countries, but the quality of human resources is still far from satisfactory.

It's like the saying, "More bark than bite." The high budget allocation of 20% for education from the state budget should have a positive impact on the education system in Indonesia, allowing it to compete with other developed countries.

One of the effects of the expensive cost of education is that Indonesia's education system is lagging behind. In the past, especially in 1996, the quality of Indonesian teachers was highly regarded by the international community to the extent that Malaysia imported teachers from Indonesia. What about now? To get truly qualified teachers, we have to be able to enter prestigious schools, not disregarding the quality of teachers in regular schools, but the reality is different.

The high cost of education in Indonesia, from the perspective of the lower class, makes them reluctant to pursue higher education, and many of them choose to work directly.

The focus should be on the education institutions in this country, namely the Ministry of Education and Culture. They should be responsible for all Indonesians who cannot pursue higher education due to the exorbitant costs.

As a writer, it breaks my heart to see the current state of education in Indonesia. Even getting an education up to high school level is difficult because of the high expenses and low income. Aspirations to continue to higher education are hindered, even though the government provides scholarships such as Bidikmisi and KIP for less fortunate children, but the allocation is not accurate and some are enjoyed by those who are well-off.

This is a big problem for our nation, which will celebrate its centenary in 2045 and has the goal of becoming a Golden Indonesia by then.

The cost of education at the elementary and secondary levels is also very disproportionate. The reality today is that if you want to get a good education, you have to be willing to pay a high price, and vice versa. So, there is actually no correlation between the government's aspirations and the actual situation on the ground.

Education should be returned to its true path, as education is supposed to be sacred. It is born from noble aspirations to educate every Indonesian child.

In my opinion, the concept of prestigious schools should be eliminated in Indonesia, as it will only be a deadly weapon for Indonesian students. This concept will only widen the gap.

Usually, schools labeled as prestigious have excellent facilities, including teachers, classrooms, school atmosphere, student interest development, and so on, which are very different from regular schools. These prestigious schools definitely have very high tuition fees to cover those large expenses.

Even more cruelly, it has the potential to kill the genius children because their parents cannot afford to send them to prestigious schools. Meanwhile, their classmates with average IQ but wealthy parents will be able to attend.

The high cost of education will only create new inequalities, where education is only for those who are wealthy, even if their abilities are not exceptional, while there are intelligent children who lack financial support.

The slogan "Golden Indonesia 2045" will only be a dream if we don't start now. There is still time to improve by encouraging every Indonesian family to have at least one university graduate, with support from the government.

All educational institutions need to be aware and have a conscience because education is the best way to achieve a bright future for everyone.

Equality is the key.

That's the story, my friend.