UN and STUPIDITY

What does UN have to do with STUPIDITY? It is a weird question since as the government says that the purpose of implementing UN or National Based Examination is to increase our education quality. Is it good as it sounds? I think it is not. In my opinion the implementing of UN is producing a new kind of STUPIDITY in our nation. What do I say like this??? Let me tell you my story:

I have been becoming an English teacher at a state school in my hometown for about five months. My main duty is to teach English to the second grade of Vocational School at the town. Few months ago, the third grade students were on the field to parctise the skills they have got from school. They were doing a kind of community service [PSG]. At the early of this month [to be exact on September 29th] the students returned from the workplace. The third grade students are back to school to study as usual. Some weeks ago, I do not remember the exact date but it was in August. I was called with some other teachers [five teachers if I am not mistaken] to the headmaster’s room. At first, I did not know what was the call meant and I was still confused with the purpose of that meeting. The headmaster started the meeting with the sentence “we are here to discuss the UN which will be held next April 2008’. The headmaster continued speaking with some other phrases and the point is UN in getting closer and we need to be prepared. He told us that there were 2 options to choose to face the UN that are available for us. The options were “Heaven on Earth Way” or Hell on Earth but Heaven on Heaven Way” [Cara Surga dibumi dan Cara neraka dibumi] what do the two options really mean? Let me further explain to you. The first option is we choose not to cheat on the UN or do the test honestly by not helping our students in the UN. We will not make a success team to help students answer the questions in order to make them graduated in the test. He also told us to be ready with the risks [some parents might bring a ‘MANDAU’ a sword to school and blame you if their kids fail to graduate]. The second option is we help the students that they can all graduate in the UN. The teachers will answer half of the questions in the UN [this is common in this country as in Medan, Komunitas Air Mata Guru disclosed this practice]. The headmaster asked all of us, each of us said no and some were still in doubt. I said no and never will I choose the second option though I am fired from the school. The final decision hs yet to be made. It is still at stake. Hope we choose the first option.
My story gives me a lesson that UN is producing a new kind of stupidity in our education. UN has taught teachers to cheat since they are forced by the system and the authority. Headmasters are afraid of losing his position and by the anger of the students’ parents and some other kind pressures. As a new teacher, I have known such story from newspapers and TV news. I never thought I would be in such a dilemmatic choice. Are teachers wrong of helping students? Headmasters wrong of pressing the teachers? The answer is NOT. The system has made them to do so. So it is clear that UN is nothing but STUPIDITY proposed by smart people in the department of education. UN is a project to get money.
In any programs as I know, if we want to implement a system, we need to take into account some the following considerations: let’s say UN. We need to ask: Are the teachers met the standard system? Are the facilities available? Is every region has the same ability and some other questions? So, the implementation of UN is a waste of money, energy, time and bringing a new kind of stupidity. What an irony! This is Indonesia. Every nonsensical thing can happen.


Peace and Love

Kristian