By: Nofiyanti Fuanda
Education is the most potential national issue to be discussed. It can always be related to all other national issues such as politics, economy, social, culture, and religion. Why all of those issues can be related to education? The very basic reason is that all of them are developed from society through education both formal and informal. Therefore, all problems come from those aspects will be related to education easily. Education in this case can be seen from two points of view; either as the background of the problems or the bright solution to solve the problems. In this essay, the writer will focus on the discussion of education as the bright solution of the national problems, especially the role of students as the object of education in solving the national problems.
National problems are so board and complicated, they are also related each other. In Indonesia, the most complicated problem is corruption. Corruption is the use of public office to private gain, or in other word, uses the official position, rank or status by an office bearer for his own personal benefit[1]. This problem is happened almost in all developing countries. It is such an uncured disease which becomes worse every day. Relates this national problem to the students’ role in solving it, it needs an understanding of the relation between two of them.
As the scientists found the medicine to cure a disease by examining the cause of the disease, to solve the problem of corruption also needs an understanding of the ‘because motive’ of the problem. Prof. Dr. Nur Syam, M. Si in his article said that the basic motive of corruption is the human perception of wealthy as the impact of capitalistic in which the standard of wealth and succeed is seen from the outward appearance in the daily life[2]. According to Johnson, the cause of corruption is also the environment in which corruption is entrenched in society which has characteristic: low political competition, low and uneven economic growth, weak civil society, and the absence of institutional mechanisms to deal with corruption[3].
Based on the explanation above, the causes of corruption can be classified into two aspects. First is the human itself and second is the environment around them. However, human factor is the main cause of mostly corruption in Indonesia besides Indonesian system also has an effect on it. The Indonesian people’s mindset that wealthy is shown from the daily appearance make them thinks that found is everything. In line with the basic of human natures that will never feel satisfied: at any money they have, it will be always less for them. They will try to get more and more money with their own ways. Some of them may do the right thing to get additional money by doing double jobs; become a teacher in the morning and a seller in the evening, but some of them have their own way to get additional money easily by utilizing the environment where they work. The chaotic system and the weak supervision give them chances to get additional salary.
It is not enough by just knowing the causes of the problem, the efforts that have been done to resolve the problem are also important to be examined to get the best solution.
Indonesian government so far has taken serious attention to corruption. Some anti-corruption agencies are held to fight against corruption. Before KPK (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi) which was held in 2003, there were six similar institutions were held since 1967. There were Tim Pemberantasan Korupsi (1967), Komisi Empat (1970), Operasi Penertiban (1977), Tim Pemberantas Korupsi (1982), Komisi Pemeriksa Kekayaan Penyelenggara Negara (1999), and Tim Gabungan Pemeberantasan Tindak Pidana korupsi (2000)[4]. Those all institutions have the same goal to combat the corruption. However, none of them can completely combat the problem. Why?
International transparency said that the institution of law enforcement in Indonesia is the most corrupt one[5]. To go to a college and get a job as a doctor, police, or even judges supposedly enough to deposit a few tens of millions or even hundred millions more. As the result, they will seek money as much as possible their job to return the money they have spent from. A police can be paid to shut up; even a judge can be easily paid to cover the crime. That is why all anti-corruption agencies cannot solve the problem. A case may be finished, but other cases will appear, or a case may be shown, but it just stops over there without any further investigation. If the new generations still do not use their skill but their money to get a job, there will always be new corruptors.
After knowing the causes of corruption and some previous efforts to solve it, then how do students get involve in solving the problem? Mindset is actually the basic problem. Their mindset of wealth have firmly attached on their head. Should the students change all Indonesian people mindset? Mindset is a belief. It is hard to change it with another contrary belief. The students’ job is to begin the new generation by setting their own mindset that wealth is not shown from the appearance of their daily life. While the government now focus on minimize the corruption with hisown way.
The students should aware by themselves that they are educated not only for being intellectual people but also moral people. They are taught to be cleaver but it is not to deceive others. To create such a belief is not easy; they have to begin it by doing simple right things that stimulate their own belief.
The real action, for example is trying to be honest. Why do people use money to get a job? It is because they have no confidence since what they got in their certificate is not their real skill. There is actually ‘sick culture’ in Indonesian education in which cheating & tracing have become such habits. There is a case that shows how cheating has firmly attached in Indonesian culture. It was the case of Mrs. Siami from Surabaya who was expelled by the surrounding community as she reported to the education office of Surabaya that her child, named Al, was told to provide a cheat sheet to his friends in National Examination[6]. She just actually wants to teach her child to be an honest person, but the society around her thinks that cheating is something common for students to pass the examination, and they blame Siami as she has exaggerated the problem. It shows that students are in custom to be dishonest people since they are in the school and unwittingly they have actually learned to be corruptors. Tragically, the society supports them to be so. Therefore, students have to force themselves to learn to be honest people. They can begin from relieving the bad habits such as cheating and tracing. They have to believe their own capability. Study is not only about the result but also about the process.
Despite the students have to learn to be honest people, they have to learn also to care with others. Why corruptors seem innocent to the poor people are because they have no sense of caring. Developing the students’ sense of caring can be started by caring to their surroundings. For example if there is one of the students who got an accident, other students should support him/her. They can spend a bit of their money to help their friend. Another example, if there is a student who comes from very poor family and even cannot pay his/her education fee, another student who is rich should help her/him. Helping friends when they get confuse on studying can also develop a sense of caring, but it doesn’t mean helping them on doing the examination.
Another thing which is important for students and should be learnt in order to create a good mindset is about professionalism. Professional people will do their job as the job description. They clearly understand their job and the consequences of everything they will do. Sometime, people can engage in a case without awareness. It is because they do not clearly understand about their job. Professionalism is also important to guard against nepotism. Professional people are people who obey the role. They are more objective than subjective so that they will care only about ‘what’ rather than ‘who’. Students can begin their professionalism by obeying the school regulation.
By doing the three simple things above, students have helped the government to solve corruption in Indonesia. They will begin the new generation. When they graduated from school then take hold the government administration they will avoid corruption because they have had the right mindset.
The students should aware by themselves that they are educated not only for being intellectual people but also moral people. They are taught to be cleaver but it is not to deceive others. To create such a belief is not easy; they have to begin it by doing simple right things that stimulate their own belief.
The real action, for example is trying to be honest. Why do people use money to get a job? It is because they have no confidence since what they got in their certificate is not their real skill. There is actually ‘sick culture’ in Indonesian education in which cheating & tracing have become such habits. There is a case that shows how cheating has firmly attached in Indonesian culture. It was the case of Mrs. Siami from Surabaya who was expelled by the surrounding community as she reported to the education office of Surabaya that her child, named Al, was told to provide a cheat sheet to his friends in National Examination[6]. She just actually wants to teach her child to be an honest person, but the society around her thinks that cheating is something common for students to pass the examination, and they blame Siami as she has exaggerated the problem. It shows that students are in custom to be dishonest people since they are in the school and unwittingly they have actually learned to be corruptors. Tragically, the society supports them to be so. Therefore, students have to force themselves to learn to be honest people. They can begin from relieving the bad habits such as cheating and tracing. They have to believe their own capability. Study is not only about the result but also about the process.
Despite the students have to learn to be honest people, they have to learn also to care with others. Why corruptors seem innocent to the poor people are because they have no sense of caring. Developing the students’ sense of caring can be started by caring to their surroundings. For example if there is one of the students who got an accident, other students should support him/her. They can spend a bit of their money to help their friend. Another example, if there is a student who comes from very poor family and even cannot pay his/her education fee, another student who is rich should help her/him. Helping friends when they get confuse on studying can also develop a sense of caring, but it doesn’t mean helping them on doing the examination.
Another thing which is important for students and should be learnt in order to create a good mindset is about professionalism. Professional people will do their job as the job description. They clearly understand their job and the consequences of everything they will do. Sometime, people can engage in a case without awareness. It is because they do not clearly understand about their job. Professionalism is also important to guard against nepotism. Professional people are people who obey the role. They are more objective than subjective so that they will care only about ‘what’ rather than ‘who’. Students can begin their professionalism by obeying the school regulation.
By doing the three simple things above, students have helped the government to solve corruption in Indonesia. They will begin the new generation. When they graduated from school then take hold the government administration they will avoid corruption because they have had the right mindset.
[1] Mynth U “Corruption: Causes, Consequences, and” Asia-Pacific Development journal 7.2 (December 2000): page 35. Web. 12 February 2012.
[2] Syam, Nur. Penyebab Korupsi. http://nursyam.sunan-ampel.ac.id/?p=526. N.p. Web. 13 February 2012.
[3]Causes and Conditions for Corruption. http://www.iss.co.za. N.p. Sept. 2001. Web. 14 February 2012.
[4] Ludin Wahyu Permana, Taufik H Karepesina. Sebelum KPK, Ada 6 Lembaga Korupsi yang Dibubarkan. www.pedomannews.com, 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 14 Feb 2012.
[5] Bantasya, Syaifuddin. “Ihwal pemberantasan Korupsi (Belajar Dari Kasus Jaksa UTG).” Masalah Korupsi di Indonesia. http://www-errol273ganteng.blogspot.com, 14 April. 2008. Web. 14 Feb 2012.
[6] Fai, Iks. Ny Siami, Si Jujur yang Malah Ajur. Berita Terkini Surabaya: Surabaya.co.id. http://www.surya.co.id, 10 June. 2011. Web. 16 February 2012.
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