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.