Batam (Media Indonesia: (04/03/07) Continuous change in education curriculum linked to the pretext of modernity development will negatively affect student’s mentality. Criticism against the inconsistencies and the lack of vision in national education curriculum was voiced Communication and Information Minister Sofyan Djalil  who was speaking as an alumni of the Indonesian Islamic Student Association (PII) in Batam, Riau Islands on Friday (2/3). 

In his speech delivered at the National Working Meeting of PII Alumny, Sofyan said that the rigid education curriculum would kill students’ creativity in many fields.According to the Communication and Information Minister, education curriculum should not be always linked to efforts to catch up with the development due to its varied interpretation; thus in certain condition there are disparities in students’ spiritual and social condition.

He pointed out at the ranking system which he deemed as one of the worst model that exists in national education because it could spoil students’ self esteem and motivation. “It is not easy for students sustaining the pressure of the curriculum”. Ironically, the national curriculum tends to refer to the planning in foreign countries, in reality we should go back to nature to deal with students’ moral degradation during the study period.

“Its different here, Senior High School students are forced to learn many subjects that should be taught in universities. Consequently, students are unable to enjoy their youth as teenagers. Or maybe we should go back to the old system, whose outcome has been proven in sharpening creativity,” Sofyan said trying to offer an alternative solution. The event was attended by Riau Islands Governor Ismeth Abdullah, PII General Chairman Illyas Rasyid, as well as former PII activists who are currently in the bureaucracy. At the occasion, Governor Ismeth Abdullah said that in the near future he would try a new approach in education in the Riau Islands by implementing the principles of ‘back to nature.’

“Students could hopefully learn to love the nature; therefore, they can develop their creativity optimally outside the formal subjects taught in school,” he said. Until the end of this year Riau Islands administration is targeting 100,000 children to be covered in the compulsory education program in the area. The administration has allocated over Rp30 billion for the development of education in remote areas on the Islands.” A rapid education development signifies the progress of a region. If the education in a region is lagged behind, the region could be classified among those that require special attention,” he asserted.