Aren't we all tired of listening to seminars, meetings (at work), etc about how nations or us should be able to raise productivities in order to increase their overall growth, and as usual by the way for me, in the other hand all the solutions proposed are always too general and vague? Well, this is the prologue, i will tell you the paradox of education and productivities.
Higher education, for what?
 Let me start this article to tell the important of education. Inclusive education is an effective instrument to build the equality, no matter that you're rich or poor, you will get the same opportunity to get the education (equitable societies). To define what's wrong with our education is to define first what we need education for. The purpose of education i think is to give students all the opportunities to find their passions (include to empower them to achieve their passion). So, every students has a dream to achieve.
By the way, i love the way of thinking of Sigmund Freud (and umm, i have couple of his books), for him, the function of education is to prepare the next generations with basic capabilities, in order to survive in relations with fellow humans. I do agree with Sigmund Freud. Survive! That's the point! In all competition, the important thing in life is how to survive in all condition! That's why i think it's our obligation to pass our capabilities and of course knowledge to the next generations and enlighten em with training and skills. Those knowledge and capabilities are required for the next generations to train themselves to be skilled analysis,to be a problem solver and to think out of the box.
The final product that we hope for our next generation are generations ready for the workforce. We expect that they become capable to fulfill their needs and to become a useful citizen and independent. So, education becomes the value added to the all human being.
Well, to get the higher education, it's a choice. If you're in highschool right now, it's a choice you will go to the universities or polytechnics (diploma 3 degree). Even, as usual, Polytechnic always be the second choice of student, the plan B if they didn't pass the examination to the University. If you go to the universities, you will get theory and knowledge. If you go to the polytechnic, you will get skill. That's why the purpose of polytechnic education to increase productivity and competitiveness.
Yet many Indonesian Diploma 3 Degree graduates remain unemployed. And that happened in Universities too. There's also a mismatch of skills between what graduates offer and employers need. In polytechnic, you learn some spesific things, and you can apply that afterall. Learning by doing. My point is that our vocational higher education (polytechnic) should aim to provide highly trained workers, so they can apply what they learn to the Company . And in the lower level, vocational schools at the secondary level (SMK), is the same thing. Aside from skills upgrade, i think entrepreneurship should be taught in vocational schools to create jobs and produce jobs for others. Because this way is an effective way to alleviate the problem of youth unemployment.
In my previous paragraph, i mention about there's mismatch of skills between what vocational graduates offer and employers need. I call it "talent mismatch". What's talent mismatch? It's not about unemployment, but most of it that what people learn in universities, and what they do in the workplace. For example, there are soooooo manyyyy Engineering School graduates leave their fields & find employment at investment banks. Why? Because they can get better pay elsewhere. It's ok, i don't mind.
But in another example, i don't know why. But honestly, for me, the best students (the highest IQ above the rest) should be in science! Why? Because i think the smart one should do some scientific research and innovation forwards for human being. I don't know but how come we let such an important aspect of civilization to fall to the hands of only (i'm sorry) second or third rate future scientists. Think twice! While in the other side there are still too few social scientists in Indonesia contributing to knowledge production at the global level. This is when i compare to our neighboring countries, where there's huge difference in the number of publications. I mean, come on fellas, why don't best kids study science? Why?
Maybe we understand why our best kid, friend, colleague, etc who are smart but they aren't interested in science, because of money, right? They who make so many research but in the other way, they're still underpaid. That's why i'm not shock when people speak about public intellectual. Appering on television shows with politicians (some as*hole like Fadly Zonk, Fak-ry Hamsiong) or making statements in media online, mass media, is often seen as a measurement of success for a public intellectual. That's why in politic, that a man who always be a guest in tv, they're offered as a consultant for political parties or even as a public official. That's how Indonesians look to the smart one.
Ok, let's continue to talk about "talent mismatch". I have so many friends that they work, their jobdesk isn't appropriate with their background. Some take law school, then they work as HRD. Ok, speaking of law school, i give you some example. What i see is, the best law school graduates become lawyers, let's name it like Hotman Paris Hutapea, etc who help their clients win their cases in the courtroom. The second rates graduates become prosecutors, and the rest become Judges (if all choose their work as the same as their major). I mean it doesn't mind. It's their choice, But why we don't think that shouldn't The Best become Judges, so they're not easily fooled by Lawyers? It's kind of my logic sense. Have you ever watched The Judge? The movie which is starred by Robert Downey Jr. If you never watch it, watch now! It's a brilliant movie for sure.
And when i work in leasing, i'm from Management Trainee Program. In leasing there are 4 field, Operational, Credit Analyst, Marketing and Collection. I think the best talent in MT should join credit analyst, and they should get the better payroll than the rest. Why? Because they are the key to increase the credit disbursement and the quality of the asset.
You'll find many of this things in life. Included me by the way. I learn accounting in Universities, then now i work as an Head of Operational. I burry my dream as a banker or accountant. Haha. Operational and and accounting are the same thing. Both are only supporting role. That's why i think that you the field of economy, law, psychology, accounting are only supporting roles in fuctioning economy (Yes, you too buddy, economic students like me, we're no use somehow). Because our majority are not the core, ours don't add real value to the business.
But since they pay more, they got the best talents. According to the program in every company, MT (Management Trainee) program, ODP Program (Officer Development Program) or PCPM program in Bank Indonesia. They don't need your majority, what they need are your competency, your brain. Ok let's skip this. Let's say Trainer. Trainer in Management Trainee Program had succed to make so many students achieve their dreams as Branch Manager and the head of division. It's like i discuss about scientist, i mean it's the same thing to trainer in MT Program. Here's i frequently ask myself, should our trainer come from the highest rank in MT Program? I think it should! Yes! It should! Because they make our coming generations to be an asset of the company.
Because it's pathetic to see our generations (let's say 13 years old to 22 years old) which i think they should read book and learn lesson's life, but what they do right now they waste their time. For example, it's disgusting to see in youtube about Dangdut. I'm sorry but for the fu*k sake, how come a kid dance like that. Oh, come on! How come a kid shout to the Dangdut singer "Please open your outfits a bit" or in extremely words "please open your clothes", it's really sick! It gives those kid a pleasure to see what they shouldn't see about sexuality of woman when they sing dangdut. Why can this happen? Look what happen to the Dangdut singer who got instant hits after an immorality dance moves like "Goyang Drible". For the f*ck sake.
Here's my argument. Do you know the song of "Cinta satu malam"? Well, the singer express her sexual expression in this song. When we hear this song, we feel female sexual desire in the song, that message delivered to us (represent sexual act). The lyric like this "Cinta satu malam, oh indahnya, cinta satu malam buatku melayang". The singer (i don't want to mention her name) unashamedly declares that female sexuality (part of woman's body) are the amazing stuff that can make addicted. And this song is consumed by kids nowadays. The message of this song is everyone likes sex (especially for men).. How come kids are poisoned to the song like this that can make em unproductive dan less capability to do something. That's one of many reasons why kids prefer watch dangdut to read a book! This song contain sexuality that can make a damage in kid's brain.
Let's talk about another song, "Aku Rapopo" or if we translate to indonesia languange "aku gapapa", and in english it means "I'm okay". The same singer isn't afraid to describe"jajan" or buying sex (in english) to her listeners (especially kid). While "jajan" actually refers to the habit of buying snacks, it also refers to man's habit of buying sex. And again this song told us that woman isn't afraid to demand a divorce from her Husband. This song like tell us that it's ok with the man's habit of buying sex. With this situation, that's why i mean we should take the higher education. For what? To grow our critical thinking, so we can aware about choices and consequences. Song can make people's life fu*ked up! Kid make a fantasy how they can have sex to the Dangdut singer. Dancing together in the stage. Really fuc*ed up! I mean, are all the female singers have the rights to show their sexual expression? These products make the coming generation be pervert. Back to the topic, if this kid take education seriously, they wouldn't take this stupid action. They will be a respectful human being who always want to transform themselves for the better.
Now, i'll talk about education in another case. Ok, yesterday is the reunion of 212 program in Monas. The rise of this radical groups tell us that education for em is a process of transferring moral or religious values from superior beings who totally know better to those who know less. And some who know less are easily trapped in propaganda. Like i said in my previous article. That's how education works. A process of transferring knowledge from who know better to who know less. That's why some youth who are lost, they idolize the wrong man. Then, they go nowhere.
And now in business, education makes business to find its own way to be more efficient. In the other words, find cheaper alternative than traditional hiring practices for example. We know that right now hiring full time employees is costly. This made Company spending a larget budget to build system that's designed for a long term purpose. Full time workers have lets say minimum wage, BPJS, pension funds (for SOE). And employee in temporary contract, however have none of these luxuries and choose to settle for the condition. The on-demand services application, let's say like Indonesia's Gojek, Malaysia's Grab and USA's Uber survive against traditional taxi companies. They don't pay expenses which are considered unnecesarry. That three even don't own a vehicle as its asset. That's how education works, to make innovative ways to get revenue.
The conclusion of this article i think, that's so many example that i tell about the education. That's why we take the higher education, it's about our way of thinking. Take the higher education, to grow our critical thinking. So, you will know when to stay, when to runaway, when to speak and when to keep silent. Because some will teach you to have the "eat shit" attitude. Here's shit, eat it! Smile, be grateful for it! There's many people whose not as lucky as you. THIS IS ILLUSION people. Know when to runaway. Don't eat shit! That's why we need education to know this.
