Menggembirakan, bahwa saat ini orang tua dan anak
sekolah melirik sekolah kejuruan STM dan SMEA. Memang
seharusnya hanya sebagian saja siswa yang mengarah ke
perguruan tinggi melalui SMA. Dan seharusnya hanya
sebagian saja lulusan SMA yang masuk strata S-1,
karena bukti menunjukkan bahwa lulusan D-3 lebih
cepat dapat kerja.
Kesempatan baik, mumpung terjadi kelangkaan mencari
tukang dan teknisi yang baik. Barang yang langka
mahal harganya bukan? Tukang adalah lulusan STM dan
SMEA. Teknisi adalah lulusan D-1, D-2 dan D-3.
Begitu langkanya teknisi, sampai-sampai industri
mengijon siswa politeknik.
Murahkah sekolah kejuruan ? Seharusnya tidak. STM,
misalnya, tidak hanya mengandalkan papan tulis dan
buku tulis saja. Tapi harus ada bengkel untuk kerja
praktek, dan ini membutuhkan alat-alat yang harganya
tidak murah. Akan aneh, jika lulusan STM bangunan
atau STM mesin tidak mampu menggambar teknik.
Salam,
RM
----------
Print June 07, 2005
Dari The Jakarta Post
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now in high demand, vocational schools suffer funding
constraints
Vocational schools, high in demand but suffering
funding constraints
At a time when skilled workers are most needed,
vocational schools, aiming to supply the professional
market, find themselves favored by both students and
businesses.
"I always aspired to continue my studies at a
vocational school because it corresponds with my
interests and will prepare me for work," said Erwan
Rusdiana, a graduate from a public vocational school
(SMK) in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
With around 800,000 students from 5,070 public and
private vocational schools graduating per year, some
50 percent already have jobs waiting for them in
related industries, a senior government official said
on Monday.
According to the Central Statistics Agency, in 2003,
the number of vocational school graduates working as
professional workers (667,852) outnumbered that of
regular high school graduates (342,387).
"The ones with jobs lined up are from schools that
meet the high standards set by industry associations,"
Ministry of National Education's director of
vocational education Gatot Hari Priowirjanto said,
adding that ensuring that such standards were met
required adequate training facilities.
Currently, technical schools (1,721), business and
management schools (2,569) as well as tourism schools
(110) represent the three most favored study subjects
with an average of 700,000 new enrollments annually.
"But, there has been declining interest in handicraft
and agricultural studies," Gatot said, which he
suggested could be overcome by opening more
market-oriented programs such as on agricultural
business and graphic design.
Despite the reduced enrollment figures in some
programs, in general there has been a steady
enrollment increase at vocational schools. The 667,000
new enrollments in 1997 jumped to 760,000 in 2003.
"Such schools are no longer eyed only by those from
the middle and lower classes," Gatot said. "Since
graduates are skilled, companies appreciate them more
than those from college."
He also pointed out that SMK 1 Mundu in Cirebon
annually sends 120 to 150 of its graduates to Japan
for work experience.
After taking part in an international competency
contest in Helsinki, Finland, last week, it became
clear that Indonesian schools lack attention and
funding for the upgrading of equipment.
"We are as competent as those from Europe, but our
tools are not as good as theirs," said Erwan, a
delegate representing Indonesia in the bricklaying
competition.
The ministry's head of competency standardization and
certification Susilowati explained that training
equipment at most schools was bought in the 1980s and
was therefore old. "We also have problems with
precision since the tools are rarely calibrated," she
said.
The classic argument of insufficient funding rang true
when the government only channeled 30 percent of this
year's proposed Rp 695 billion (US$73.93 million) for
the rehabilitation and procurement of more than 5,000
schools.
Gatot explained that a thorough revamp of equipment in
schools nationwide would require some Rp 3 trillion.
"And that only covers some 60 percent of schools."
"Local administrations pay very little attention to
them and allocate a similar amount of funds as that
for regular high schools," Gatot said, adding that a
vocational school, especially one specializing in
technology, required a lot more as it needed expensive
heavy duty equipment and used an extensive amount of
electricity.
However, a head of a vocational school should also be
more proactive in finding industries to become the
school's partner. "Industries can help with the
equipment and benefit from the supply of skilled
workers," he said.(003)
***************************************************************************
Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.ppi-india.org
***************************************************************************
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