Bangun Indonesia Foundation:
Long-Range Planning:
A 100-Year Development Project for Literacy and Education   

Background

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, consisting of approximately 17,504 islands with the land area is about 1.9 milliom sq.km located between South East Asia and Australia continent (Figure ). Indonesia formerly was Dutch colony, proclaimed its independence on August 17, 19451 . The population of Indonesia was 92 million people in 1945, which most people were poor, not educated, and low health status. The total fertility rate (TFR) was reported 6-7 per woman, 90% of the population were living with $1 per day; illiterate rate more than 80%; infant mortality rate 150 per 1000 live birth, MMR more than 400 per 100,000 live births and the life expectancy at birth was 45 years. Indonesia has successfully achieved its national development including its education, health status, and economy conditions. In 2004, it was reported that the population has increased 222,2 million people, the TFR 1.9 per women, adult literacy rate >15 years 91%, life expectancy at birth 69 years, and the gross national income (CNI) per capita US$128032 . However, there are more opportunities and challenges to address in a coming decades.

Indonesia has enough human resources, rich of natural resources, capital investment, and good administrative government structures. The population of Indonesia is approximately 250 million in the next decade. Of the total population 60% are in the productive age and it is very large potential labor force. Indonesia has so many islands, and the largest islands including Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and West Irian are rich of natural resources including oil, natural gases, coal mining, gold, silver, and plantation, tea production, agriculture products, etc. It is important to world energy with substantial oil production and world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter 1. Indonesia has large piece of land and water which make wide variety agricultures and fisheries. Indonesia has attracted many foreign investor and business. Indonesia has a good government administrative system including its educational and health system in Indonesia. The Government of Indonesia has 33 provinces, 349 districts and 91 municipalities. 5,656 sub-districtss, 71,563 vilages, 55,942,00 households in 2007 3

Indonesia is an important country due to several reasons including the world’s largest Moslem country, largest population, largest natural gas production, and the largest democratic country. Indonesia could become an industrial country in various sector development as well as China due to cheap labor cost, and tropical weather which would not have seasonal constraints. In addition, Indonesia is becoming a tourism destination because of various unique traditional and cultural live setting. On the other hand, Indonesia has main weaknesses including corruption, collusion, and nepotism (KKN), large un-employment, poverty, low education, and lack of government in education. To date, the practice of KKN is highly prevalence at all level of government institutions. It is estimated that a un-employment rate is more than 20%. There are more than 40% people are living less than US$ 1 per day. 4 Of the people age more than 10 years, 66% consists of those graduate primary school, not graduate primary school, and illiterate.. There are still many other issues of and poverty level. It is lack of government commitment in addressing the basic human needs including provision of safe water supply system and free of basic education.

Strategic Issues

Indonesia has left behind several neighboring countries. UNDP (2003) reported that the human development index (HDI), Indonesia was ranked at 112 of 175 countries, Singapore 28, Brunei Darussalam 31, Malaysia 58,Thailand 74, Philippines 85, and Vietnam 109. 4

Central Bureau of Statistics (2000) reported that of the total population, 9.8% illiterate, 56.6% reach primary schools, 30.1% junior and senior high school, and 2.3% graduate universities5. The International Education Assessment Test (Bucheri 1997) reported that the ability toread ad write of Indonesia children was the second lowest mong the countries in the world5. Wardiman Djojonegoro 1995, indicated that Indonesia published 50 million book per year, and the USA 1 billion books per year. 6 Of the total population, 2.8% access to new paper, compare with other countries more than 30% access to new paper. Of the total primary schools (200,000), 1% has library; junior high school 16%; senior high school 54%, and the university 60%.7

The Asia week assessment (June 2000) reported that based on overall criteria, University of Indonesia was ranked 61, UGM 67, UNDIP 77, and UNAIR 75. Quality of faculty members, UI 62, UNAIR 74, UNDIP 76, and UGM 77. Publication and research UI 71, UNDIP 73, UGM 73, and UNAIR 77. In addition, UI is ranked no 250 of the 500 universities in the world. 8

Lack of reading and learning society underlined various key issues mentioned above.

Mission

The mission of the national development concept in Indonesia includes:

• Develop reading and learning society of Indonesia mainly young generation both in the rural and urban poor areas so as to learn, understand, and transfer appropriate science and technology application to increase standard and quality of life.
  


• Develop various programs for reading and learning society through formal and informal education system partnership with all stakeholders of the government institution, private sectors, and civil society organization including NGOs.
  


• Develop reading and learning center at the village levels which provides integrated community program including education, health, and income generation.

Vision

• People both living in the rural areas and urban poor are able to read and learn, understand, transfer appropriate science and technology application which make them more productive life.
  


• Formal and informal educational system at all levels facilitates the development of reading and learning society.
  

Goal 1.  Set up reading and learning society at a village level.

• Objective 1  Developed at least 5 models of Reading and Learning Center at the village level.
  


• Objective 2  Reading and Learning Center at the village level in operation.   
  

Goal 2.  Set up reading and learning society at the educational system.

• Objective 1  Faculty member has reading and learning habits.
  


• Objective 2  Reading and learning is integrated into teaching methodology
  

Hypothesis

• Reading and learning society are considered as the most important factor for learning, understanding, transferring, and using science and appropriate technology application;
  


• The higher understanding science and technology, the higher ability in transferring and using science and technology application, and the higher ability in producing better quality of goods and services.
  


• The higher ability in producing better quality of goods and services, the higher ability in improving standard and quality of lives and compete in the free market.
  

Strategy and Program

Develop reading and learning society at the village community level:

1. Develop partnership program with government institutions, private sectors, and civil society organization including non-governmental organization.
2. Mobilize community resources to participate In the program planning, implementation, and reporting
3. Develope pilot project for reading and learning center in several villages.

Develop reading and learning society at the educational system:



4. 4. Develop teaching methods and materials which would be integrated into the available formal and non formal educational program.
5. 5. Develop pilot project at each educational level including Pre-school children; Primary School, Junior High school, and university
6. 6. Develop pilot project for reading and learning at the educational system.

References

1. 1. First Gov Go (2002). Indonesia. Country analysis brief. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/indonesa.html (3 of 8) [01/16/2002 2:44:17 PM]
2. 2. Helen and Frank Schreider (1961). Indonesia the young and troubled island nation. The National Demographic Magazine.Vol 119, No 5. May 1961. Washington D.C. National Demographic Society
3. 3. Sumengen Sutomo (2003). Membangun bangsa budaya baca dan belajar 100 tahun mendatang. Jakarta:YBI