Indonesia Can (Also) Beside China

This is my first assignment in my English course, I hope you can read and get the point what I write.

China, has done the great transformation within 30 years before. Deng Xiaoping's leadership alter the economic-way of China from independent-communist to an open-market way. With the "Four Modernization Program" he established, China has experienced the extraordinary growth.

China changes, from an emerging country to a super power country. Many country depend on its help to protect them from a global economy crises. China becomes a producer of modern technology, from a machine, hand phone, to a simple thing like a baby toy. If there is no more economic pressure like a crisis, likely China will become a biggest economy power with the rate of growth is about 7% per year. It is a hard achievement, in an unstable economy situation nowadays.

Our country Indonesia, also has done the great economy growth on 1970s - 1990s. With the former president Soeharto, Indonesia became a "Lion of Asia", a certain country which have an economy stability and power. But, after a 1998 economic crisis that affect a South East Asia, not much we can do. During the decade after the economic crisis, Indonesia always "beg" to keep the country from a big inflation.

Eleven years have passed. The South East Asia economy is still recovering. The domestic consumption has been increasing, micro-economy activities happen again, our benchmark interest rate is quite low. Unfortunately, this sound situation was broken by a global economy crises on 2008.

Today, only 3 countries who still has a positive economic growth: China, India, and Indonesia. We have to proud of that. It means, Indonesia can pass the 2008 economic crisis well, even not as good as China and India. As an Indonesian citizen, I think we can do several things to fasten our economy, making a welfare to the citizen of Indonesia. I think Indonesia can be a second China.

The educated-labor force in Indonesia is quite much. Our education is quite good. Last week, Mr. Bambang Sudibyo, the head of Ministry of Education spoke, "Our education system is not worst than other ASEAN country." With our 230 million citizen, the quantity of our labor-force is should not be asked anymore. How about the quality? We can explore their potential by educating them in qualified school like SMK. That a SMK (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan) sometimes seen one-eyes by the society, it is true. But, I think the community is wrong. With SMK's distinction, we can see the purpose: Indonesia has a good human resources.

Indonesia, used to call as "Zamrud Khatulistiwa". This is an Indonesian phrase to describe what Indonesia is, like jewelry on equator. Indonesia has a large territory, divided by a land and a huge sea surrounded them. Its territory doesn't only look green and blue, but the soil contain a various mining item. Indonesia has an oil and copper mining in Papua, a gold mining in Java, and a coal ming in West Sumatera. Indonesia also has a potention in natural resources to dig, not only to watch.

The culture of our birocracy is also has changed for the last several years. During the "Orde Baru", the culture of bribing, giving a money under the table, often to happen. It is not good to our economy stability, because we can change the law by the money. In order to wiping it, the current president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono optimize the function of KPK (Corruption Eradication Commission). Unfortunately, there are a negative opinion from several group. Slowly but sure, Indonesia has started to leave this culture.

The last reason is about the fact which I have told before. Indonesia and China are two countries which still has a positive economic growth since the last economy crisis on 2008. The global economy crises affect the world. The sign of the crises happened when a stock price in USA fell down more than 50%, as the revenue of the bank decreased caused by a subprime-mortgage case. The crises spreads from America, Europe, and then Asia. Almost all country in the continents have a minus economic growth on early 2009, except those three countries.

In conclusion, Indonesia has a chance to have a high economy growth as China has done. Indonesia has everything that can help it reaches the high growing economy. By doing more improvement again, Indonesia can bring itself to be a "Lion of Asia" again.

Student Orientation Term: Good or Bad for Our Education?

As a first year student, school in Indonesia, especially in Junior and Senior High School, hold a Student Orientation Term, or commonly said as MOS (Masa Orientasi Siswa). The officials said, that MOS have a purpose to introduce the school structure, school culture, and moreover, is to make us as a student to enjoy our new school. MOS have been held by the Department of Education as a program to make a new student adapt with his school. But practically, it is not as good as written in the textbook. I think, the MOS is not good for our education system. It should be changed.

There are several reasons why the MOS should be changed. First, because MOS only create a spending money for a useless things. In my school, the first thing to do is to make a nametag, which usually the ingredients is hard to find. It's only spend more money, on searching it, buying it, and more. It is better to use it to create more school, to hire a better teacher, or making a better curriculum.

Second, MOS only create a seniority in the school. School, have created OSIS as a super-power institution. OSIS is the doer of this program, not the school (teacher). OSIS, or the senior student, sometimes pushes the junior do something that should not be done. Like sending a letter, bringing a strange-name-vegetable, buying a flower, or creating hard nametag on the short time. They said it is only test on their creativity, but actually, it was a horrible examination.

Last, Student Orientation Term can bring a student to a hate feelings to the education system. I have just read an article on Kompas, 11th June 2009: Every year, 250 - 300 brilliant student learn in Singapore. Emphasize this word: Brilliant student. If the national school can develop them, can maintain them to take a study in Indonesia, they can be used to increasing the national development. By using our own citizen, it is easier and cheaper than hiring a foreign staff.

For the conclusion, I think the Student Orientation Term is not good anymore. The ball is on the school. If they want to create a better human resources, change the program. But if they don't, our country's development will be stagnan.